Just a quick reminder that the Thursday evening Yoga Moodra class at All Saints Lutheran in Eagan has a new session starting this week: April 28. The Tuesday class at Glendale United Methodist in Savage has a new session starting next week: May 3. See the left side-bar for class dates/details. My website has class dates posted as well at www.yoga-moodra.com. Or click on the 'website' button at the top left of the page to go to the website directly! Cool, huh?
See you on the mat!
Monday, April 25, 2016
Monday, April 18, 2016
5 reasons why Yoga is done in bare feet!
New students in my yoga classes often keep their socks on! Eventually, they usually follow the rest of the group and join in with bare feet (and of course, it is always a choice!). But some of you might be wondering....why is yoga done with bare feet? Here are 5 reasons why!
1. Being barefoot allows us to strengthen the feet
Most shoes, and especially athletic shoes, are designed to support and cushion the foot, which is great, but that cushioning effect sometimes prevents stretches and movement that strengthen our feet.
2. Stability
Socks can be slippery! Standing yoga postures need a firm connection to the floor so that you can feel stable and steady in your practice. Yoga mats are made "sticky" for this same reason. We risk injury if we suddenly slip and slide! If your feet are cold or you have some other need to keep your feet covered, then some grippy toe socks are your best bet so that you keep your feet firmly where you put em!
3. Pada Bandha.
Pada what??? A bandha in yoga is a "lock" or "seal" and Pada Bandha is a foot lock. When we feel the feet firmly grounding us to the earth by spreading the toes and lifting the arch a bit in our feet, we root or find stability for the rest of our system. This foot lock or seal cannot be done in a shoe; we need to feel connected to the floor and the earth below us to feel stable, grounded, and supported as we go on to build any standing asana or posture.
4. Respectful transition
Many of us take off our shoes when we enter our homes in order to keep dirt and grime from being tracked into our living space. Taking off our shoes in yoga is a sign of respect as we transition to our mats and shift from being out in the gritty world to being fully present and ready for yoga practice. One other note, it is good manners to avoid walking on anyone else's mat. By doing so, you respect the cleanliness of another student's mat and you recognize a boundary that says 'that's your space.'
5. No special equipment required
Yoga is a practice that has been around for centuries....long before many people owned or wore shoes or socks! Ultimately, yoga is a simple practice for living that we should be able to do anywhere. Sticky mats, blocks, straps, cushions, cute yoga pants and all the rest are mainly creature comforts that we have added along the way to make our yoga practice more comfortable. There's nothing wrong with comfort, but remember that you don't need special footwear or anything else to practice yoga.
1. Being barefoot allows us to strengthen the feet
Most shoes, and especially athletic shoes, are designed to support and cushion the foot, which is great, but that cushioning effect sometimes prevents stretches and movement that strengthen our feet.
2. Stability
Socks can be slippery! Standing yoga postures need a firm connection to the floor so that you can feel stable and steady in your practice. Yoga mats are made "sticky" for this same reason. We risk injury if we suddenly slip and slide! If your feet are cold or you have some other need to keep your feet covered, then some grippy toe socks are your best bet so that you keep your feet firmly where you put em!
3. Pada Bandha.
Pada what??? A bandha in yoga is a "lock" or "seal" and Pada Bandha is a foot lock. When we feel the feet firmly grounding us to the earth by spreading the toes and lifting the arch a bit in our feet, we root or find stability for the rest of our system. This foot lock or seal cannot be done in a shoe; we need to feel connected to the floor and the earth below us to feel stable, grounded, and supported as we go on to build any standing asana or posture.
4. Respectful transition
Many of us take off our shoes when we enter our homes in order to keep dirt and grime from being tracked into our living space. Taking off our shoes in yoga is a sign of respect as we transition to our mats and shift from being out in the gritty world to being fully present and ready for yoga practice. One other note, it is good manners to avoid walking on anyone else's mat. By doing so, you respect the cleanliness of another student's mat and you recognize a boundary that says 'that's your space.'
5. No special equipment required
Yoga is a practice that has been around for centuries....long before many people owned or wore shoes or socks! Ultimately, yoga is a simple practice for living that we should be able to do anywhere. Sticky mats, blocks, straps, cushions, cute yoga pants and all the rest are mainly creature comforts that we have added along the way to make our yoga practice more comfortable. There's nothing wrong with comfort, but remember that you don't need special footwear or anything else to practice yoga.
Monday, April 4, 2016
Connections
Here's a marvelous quote that I want to share:
"When the heart is right, 'for' and 'against' are forgotten." Thomas Merton
So often in our lives, we get sucked into the mindset that some of us are "right" and some of us are "wrong." There is simply way too much time spent in comparison and contrast. Whether we are comparing our bodies to those of others, or comparing ideas and bickering or getting indignant about the fact that others disagree with us, we get pretty caught up in seeing what is different and distancing as opposed to what is shared or common between us.
When you spend some time on your yoga mat, remind yourself that yoga is not just a practice meant to "yoke" or bring union to the various parts of ourselves; it is also a practice that helps us get in touch with our sameness and our connection to all living beings. When we see that we all have strengths and we all have weaknesses, we can approach our interactions with more softness and compassion.
Get your heart "right" and watch as it helps you move through the day with more grace and a sense of connection to all.
"When the heart is right, 'for' and 'against' are forgotten." Thomas Merton
So often in our lives, we get sucked into the mindset that some of us are "right" and some of us are "wrong." There is simply way too much time spent in comparison and contrast. Whether we are comparing our bodies to those of others, or comparing ideas and bickering or getting indignant about the fact that others disagree with us, we get pretty caught up in seeing what is different and distancing as opposed to what is shared or common between us.
When you spend some time on your yoga mat, remind yourself that yoga is not just a practice meant to "yoke" or bring union to the various parts of ourselves; it is also a practice that helps us get in touch with our sameness and our connection to all living beings. When we see that we all have strengths and we all have weaknesses, we can approach our interactions with more softness and compassion.
Get your heart "right" and watch as it helps you move through the day with more grace and a sense of connection to all.
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