7am hatha yoga with Carina. She carries herself with a calm spirit, and that quality prevails in her class. It's very nice.
We started the class in seated meditation. For quite some time too, it wasn't a token break for sitting still. I found myself feeling very relaxed, and focussed on my breath rather than runaway thoughts. It felt great.
The asanas were slow moving and deliberate, and it was challenging because we held the poses with strength for a very long time. Although some may think that a fast vinyassa flow is a more athletic style of yoga, I disagree. Holding a deep posture takes a lot of muscle intensity, and you aren't rushing through one thing to the next, which often leads to missing the point.
As we gently flowed through the movements with our breath, Carina encouraged us to pause in the stillness. Kumbuko, she said, a sanskrit word for pause. Our arms would float up as we inhaled, hands joining overhead as we momentarily held our breath - Kumboko - and then arms float down as we exhaled.
In Kumboko, or in the pause, is where we can find deeper understanding. With everything we do, with every decision we make, we should invite Kumbuko into our conscious thought, and only then move forward.
We started the class in seated meditation. For quite some time too, it wasn't a token break for sitting still. I found myself feeling very relaxed, and focussed on my breath rather than runaway thoughts. It felt great.
The asanas were slow moving and deliberate, and it was challenging because we held the poses with strength for a very long time. Although some may think that a fast vinyassa flow is a more athletic style of yoga, I disagree. Holding a deep posture takes a lot of muscle intensity, and you aren't rushing through one thing to the next, which often leads to missing the point.
As we gently flowed through the movements with our breath, Carina encouraged us to pause in the stillness. Kumbuko, she said, a sanskrit word for pause. Our arms would float up as we inhaled, hands joining overhead as we momentarily held our breath - Kumboko - and then arms float down as we exhaled.
In Kumboko, or in the pause, is where we can find deeper understanding. With everything we do, with every decision we make, we should invite Kumbuko into our conscious thought, and only then move forward.
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