Due: Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: Yoga as “meditation”:
In some of the yoga classes I attend, the teachers have recently begun with meditation in the beginning of class. They explain this is to set our intention for the class, and leave everything outside of the classroom that isn't serving you. It's 5 minutes that allow our minds to slow down and realize we're in a yoga class and should be focused on that alone. I don't believe that yoga alone however is used as meditation in our practice space. I believe that yoga is focused on the sweating part of it, or maybe being so focused in the pose that you aren't thinking on anything but that pose. The underlying reason for yoga might be meditation, but I don't believe that is vocalized. Anyone that hasn't been exposed to that aspect of yoga, wouldn't understand that branch I don't believe. I believe that meditation is absent because the yoga studio is so focused on the speed, and flow of the yoga practice- rather than understanding the true meaning of yoga as it was intended to be. If yoga is the stilling of the mind through movement, then meditation is the same thing except you're not necessarily moving. So yoga is intended to be moving mediation. This form of mediation works better for me because every time I sit down and close my eyes, I am 100% falling asleep. No matter how focused or awake I am... immediate exhaustion attacks me. I don't feel that my yoga practice is about meditation because of the type of yoga I participate in. Whenever I enter the room I always wish that I'm in a yin class, or a slow class that is focused on my body alignment and a meditative state. But instead I sweat and my muscles twitch for an hour as I patiently wait for savasana. I could of course go to a yoga class that is more relaxed, and put meditation back into my yoga practice. The only one to blame is myself.
go to a yin class!
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