When I told a student of mine last summer that my next advanced teacher training would be for chair-supported practice, she was surprised and curious. She attended Dynamic Gentle Yoga Teacher Training when we offered it online during the pandemic while I was guiding and training standing and floor postures–the
The ninth blossom of the Yamas and Niyamas garland is called Swadyaya (pronounced swahd-yah-yah) which loosely translates to self-study. This Niyama, studied for the month of February, reminds me of the maxim “know thyself.” Given that the Gentle Yogis practice community has already been on a journey of “self-study” for many months now, we have to dig a little deeper to know what the invitation of Swadyaya is about. First, we review.
Gentle Yogis have completed 683 days of daily Gentle Breath Practice Chair Yoga. Congrats to those who have completed a day, a week, a month or many months of practice.
January was the eighth month of daily group study after the practice. This month was a fascinating, challenging, and often revelatory exploration. We’re on the third Niyama, Tapas, usually referred to as self-discipline. In his book Nourishing The Teacher, Danny Arguetty refers to it as dedication.
The sparkling jewel of Santosha (contentment) invites us to drop into awareness of our current experience in the space between the thoughts. Contentment is available at the moment I become aware of what I am experiencing and discover that I have a choice. In one moment, there may be a
This month, the Gentle Yogis community-time conversation made a transition. In The Yamas and Niyamas, Debra Adele describes the shift from the Yamas to the Niyamas as being similar to a shift from creating an adult relationship with others to creating an adult relationship with ourselves. We began this past month to explore the Niyamas. The Niyamas are considered guidance for how to approach personal practice. There are two ways to approach the sequence of the five Niyamas. There is a genius to the sequence as listed in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra; we studied Saucha/Purification in November and will proceed with Santosha/Contentment in December.
What an incredible journey! These past few months have been an immense process of self-study and self-discovery. With each new yama I wonder which unseen or long forgotten part of myself I will encounter next.
First, we began with ahimsa, do no harm in thought, word or deed. Ahimsa invites me to ask, may my thoughts, words and deeds be kind to others and most importantly to myself. May this study of the yamas and niyamas be a kind journey, shining the light of awareness as guided by this ancient text, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. We have been taking these steps with compassionate self-observation as Swami Kripalu has suggested as best we can.
For community time after the Breath Practice each day, we are in month four of a fascinating journey into the exploration of the Yamas and Niyamas. This month we have opened the treasure chest of Brahmacharya. It has not disappointed. We’ve been surprised and challenged. Brahmacharya’s meaning includes moderation, non-excess, energy management and its translation is “walking towards creation.” I think of it as gathering energy, avoiding wasting energy, to serve my vitality and the highest good.
Our exploration of Asteya began with stories of childhood and adolescent petty larceny. Shoplifting. Stealing from Dad’s wallet. Taking money from that pumping gas job. The blurred boundaries of the college years when sharing drifted into rationalized taking, “he doesn’t need that as much as I do.” One person shared that “we used to call it ‘stealing from the man,’ reflecting a common attitude that a corporation takes more than it gives.
And, don’t forget tax loopholes, pay phone coin returns and illegal parking.
We acknowledged some regret, remorse, humility, a bit of shame. Yet, we were unaware that we hadn’t really begun the deep exploration of non-stealing that was about to evolve.
Does the idea of doing yoga with a chair sound unappealing? Do you imagine chair yoga is not “real yoga,” that it’s for others who are less mobile, or maybe more limited than you? I hear over and over again variations on this sentiment, “I never expected how good I would feel after a chair practice.” Consider chair yoga is not just an alternative to mat/floor yoga; in many ways chair yoga can be an enhancement. The chair is a surprisingly versatile yoga prop and can help you go deeper in your practice.
The GentleYogis 8am Breath Practice has been going on since March 19, 2020. Joyce and I have suited up for nearly every one of these mornings. Many in the community have done it nearly everyday. Many others have been on as regularly as their schedule allows. Mostly, we do it every day. The practice is the same. 5 breath practices. 3 Yoga stretches. 3 Oms. 35 minutes generally. Doesn’t it get boring, you might ask?