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Vibrance Yoga: Practice and Perspective

Vibrance Yoga: Practice and Perspective

by Sara Greway

Self-Improvement Health & Fitness

Season 1

The Breath Will Always Be Truthful (Recorded Live)

This episode is a flow that's on the spicier side, but with an emphasis on letting the breath really, honestly, truly guide you. We will often muscle our way through the physical practice, or indeed any physical endeavor, but should we? This flow helps you to explore and recognize when you're doing it, so you can choose on purpose.

Slow Flow: Recorded Live ("Skill in Action")

This Slow Flow was recorded live with a general theme of "Yoga is Skill in Action" as put forth by the Bhagavad Gita. Just because it's slow doesn't mean it isn't strong. Always take the options that work for you, with the idea of striving without grasping at outcomes. The journey is the destination!

Yoga Nidra: Deep Rest

Practice Yoga Nidra with me. This practice is one to deeply relax you, and invites a conscious awareness. Yoga Nidra isn't quite meditation, and it isn't quite sleep, but somewhere between the two. It can be deeply restorative, and particularly helpful if sleep is elusive!

A Spicy Flow: Recorded Live

Today's episode (our lucky 13th!) was recorded live, and is a pretty spicy flow. Best to have some familiarity with the poses, but feel free to give it a try regardless of your experience level. It may be challenging, but remember that making the physical shapes isn't the intention of the practice! Listening, learning, and choosing what's right for you is far more important. And if that means you need to rest, please do so! Pushing yourself hard enough that you are suffering is not the intention here! Rest until you feel ready, then jump back in.

Yoga Nidra and Progressive Relaxation

Relax and reset with a Yoga Nidra and progressive relaxation session. In this fifteen-minute practice you'll get the opportunity to allow yourself complete rest, which is sometimes pretty hard to come by in small enough chunks to work into your day. Give yourself enough time to come out of the practice without rushing, if at all possible. Settle yourself as completely as you can. It's just for a little while. You can pick up the heavy things again afterwards if you feel they are necessary.

A Yin Practice

Join me this week for a Yin Yoga practice. Grab any props you might like, such as blocks (you can use sturdy books or small boxes taped shut!), blankets or towels, bolsters (maybe a couple of pillows will do the trick for you) and whatever else you might need. The practice of Yin Yoga relies heavily on stillness rather than on movement, which is challenging for some of us. Try not to push too deeply into each shape, but find a place which is sustainable for you to hold over time. If you need to come out or readjust, please do so. Suffering is not on the agenda here! Following your breath is a great way to remain present, but try to refrain from forcing the breath in any way. If you find yourself "gripping" the breath, notice it and soften your hold if you can. If you can't do that, consider that the physical shape of the pose might not be best for you and make adjustments until you can soften the breath as much as you soften the body.

Thoughts on Meditation

Many of us have heard that meditation has wonderful benefits, but we wonder if we're doing it right. This episode talks about the differences between guided and unguided meditation, and how to get where we want to go with it. Hopefully it can clear up a few misconceptions and clear the way for you to have a meditation practice that is helpful for you! This episode isn't a meditation itself, just a few thoughts on its practice. Also, it's our tenth episode! Thanks for being here with me on this journey. I hope you stick around!

Breath and Flow: Being Human

Please don;t allow whatever makes you human to prevent you from practicing! In this episode, I share a pranayama practice that I find helpful when my mood is just not great, and then we flow. If you are in a mood (like I was,) or have some distractions, or physical twinges, or whatever else going on, then know that your humanity doesn't preclude you from practice! We often feel like everything needs to be "perfect" for our practice to benefit us, and that unfortunately leads to abandoning the practice more often than not, because we're not perfect. We're human. Practice being a human with all of the perceived imperfections that go along with it. In that way we can build a sustainable, supportive, and functional practice. Guess what? That helps us in turn to build a more sustainable, supportive, and functional life. So grab your mat and any props you like to use and let's get started.

Diaphragmatic Breathing: An Introduction

You probably don't spend much time thinking about how you breathe from moment to moment, but your breath can profoundly affect how you feel. This episode begins to explore diaphragmatic breathing, also called belly breathing. We practice the breath (many of us are not used to it and it might be difficult to cultivate at first; keep at it!) and talk briefly about how the breath helps to propel us through our physical Asana practices. Have a space where you can lie on your belly for this one. Always feel free to take a break from your practice if you need to. We're not trying to suffer through this! Comping back to this type of practice frequently is more helpful at first than trying to do a ton at once. Allow yourself some time and space to settle in.

A Grounded Practice

This episode features a practice that stays on the ground--no standing required! Grab some blocks, a strap, maybe a towel to roll up as a cushion for your knees or as a bolster for a restful Savasana. The practice has an open end, so feel free to stay in your final rest for as long as you require (the longer the better!) and come out gently.

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