Melissa West is a yoga and pilates instructor who helps people to surrender to peace in their lives by connecting to the vital energy within their body through breath, cultivating optimal functional movement by harnessing the power of gravity and increase overall mobility by creating more suppleness in the spine.
This episode of Namaste Yoga explores the yoga pose Utkata Konasana, Goddess Victory squat. By discovering the stories of Hindu Goddesses Lakshmi, Parvati, Annapurna, Saraswati, Kali and Durga we discover the personal, archetypal qualities of the Goddess that exist within all of us. This class is not only for women. Hatha yoga translates as ha = sun, tha = moon. Sun is the masculine, moon is the feminine. We practice yoga to balance our masculine and feminine sides in union. Practicing Goddess...
The second in the series of yoga stories features the yoga pose hanumasana. The pose is named after the Hindu Deity Hanuman. Hanuman is a symbol of strength, courage, perseverance and devotion. Just like Hanuman we often forget our faith, our divinity, and our greatness. Through the story of Hanuman we will remember that there is a part of us that is divine and able to accomplish the impossible.
This class is the first in a series of yoga stories classes. In this class we will work towards the lotus pose by opening your hips. The lotus is a flower that has its roots in the muddy waters and is used as a symbol for the opening flower of spiritual growth - which can grow from the muck of even the worst karma. The unfolding petals of the lotus flower symbolize the expansion of our souls.
This week's class is about dharma: right action and living your truth. Dharma often gets translated as life purpose but I think in our culture that gets read rather narrow mindedly as "career." Dharma is about the fullest expression of our being, about living the fullness of your uniqueness and passions. What's more we have multiple dharmas at multiple times during our lives. In this class we will practice yoga asana as a way to be more fully you in each posture. We will draw on the story of t...
This is the much requested and long awaited class on karma. Although karma is popularly understood as punishment for our sins or rewards for our good deeds, in truth it is much more complex than that. Michael Stone describes karma as a relationship between our actions and psychological conditioning. He adds that when we act we act within a web of relationships and thus karma is a complex and multidimensional thing. This class is really a part 2 to the class on samskaras (episode 77). Karma can...
This week's episode of Namaste Yoga is dedicated to samskaras; the subliminal impressions formed by our thoughts, feelings and actions. According to Nischala Joy Devi, when a thought, feeling or situation arises it will naturally flow into the groove that presents the path of least resistance. Through this week's practice we will become aware of unconscious and habitual samskaras and look at the ways that sankalpa, awareness, asana, mudras and pranayama can create new, more positive impressions.
This week's class will focus on coming into direct and immediate experience of our divine nature, our true essence. Drawing from the teachings of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras we will use yoga to free us from the drama, the tragedy and the saga created by our minds and experience our true self. When we practice yoga we are able to remember our True Self and contemplate our oneness with all of creation. The vinyasas from this class are taken from or inspired by Mark Whitwell's "Yoga of Heart." ;
This episode of Namaste Yoga is dedicated to what Patanjali refers to as the 5 causes of suffering, the klesas. According to the Yoga Sutras the mental/emotional causes of suffering are unawareness, egotism, clinging to past pleasure, aversion to past pain and the fear of death. We will explore the concept of kelsas within the context of this class. ;
This week's class focuses on the yoga concept, "drishti." Drishti means point of focus. It is a gentle gaze outwards that brings awareness inwards. In sanskrit drishti translates as vision, point of view, intelligence and wisdom. The root of the word, "dhr" means to hold, support and keep our mind collected. How perfect is that for our yoga practice? Drishti can be on a candle flame, a chakra, a mantra, breath, bodily sensation, thoughts, emotions, or spirit. In fact in Bhakti yoga, the yoga o...
This episode of Namaste Yoga will focus on teaching the bandhas. We will be working with mula (or moola) bandha, uddiyana bandha and jalandara bandha. These translate as root lock, navel lock and chin lock. The bandhas are muscular contractions that help to focus the mind, channel energy through the body in specific ways and balance the nervous system. Please note contraindications to the udiyana bandha are: colitis, stomach or intestinal ulcers, diaphragmatic hernias, high blood pressure, and...