The photo above shows me in the beginning phase of neck movements that I do daily. Neck rolls are one of my favorite yoga poses because I feel as if my shoulders are being massaged gently and that the tension that tends to store in my neck/shoulder area is released easily. Neck rolls can be meditative -closing your eyes while doing them enhances the relaxation quality of the movements and you can really tune into and listen to your body while doing them.
One of the books I recommend for new yogis that contains many details about the essential nature of yoga is The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness by Eric Schiffman. He offers many suggestions for enhancing your yoga practice and ensuring that it's inspired. From his book, I learned about closing my eyes during the neck movements to enhance the relaxation effects they elicit. It really works! I recall that in November 2010 when I taught a beginners demo yoga class at the National Hispana Leadership Institute Executive Conference in Miami, FL, I automatically closed my eyes while demonstrating this pose for a moment, forgetting that I needed to first check the class attendees' movements!
One thing I discovered after re-committing to a daily, heart-felt yoga practice five years ago was that as a teenager and in the decades that followed, I had too often practiced my yoga poses in a mechanical rather than inspired way. I did yoga the way certain musicians play their instruments - accurately and with precision but lacking feeling. And you know what? I just didn't gain the same level of bliss or energy that I enjoy now.
When you infuse your heartfelt "feeling" into your practice it's easier to tune into your "inspiration." And, inspiration aligns you with the genius within that enables you to make the most of your practice and to avoid injury. One helpful signal to remind yourself to tune into your heart and feelings before you practice is to sit in the half-lotus pose as shown above (or any other cross-legged pose), do an alternate nostril breath or two, and cup your heart with your hands for a few seconds before you begin your yoga poses. Watch what happens. Please let me know if your yoga poses don't feel more "inspired" and if you don't feel at least double the bliss and energy you normally feel?!
Yours for inspired yoga poses,
Laura Venecia Rodriguez
Posted by: |