My path to yoga began in 1999, looking to heal a stiff neck from my wood carving days. What I found was a world of growth. In a strong desire to learn more deeply about yoga, I became RYT Teacher Certified in 2002 during an immersion in Bali, Indonesia, with Bob Smith & Ki McGraw of Hatha Yoga Center, Seattle. My roots extend from Pattabhi Jois. I lead a slow, challenging & playful Vinyasa (flowing) class, with emphasis on breath, alignment and core strength. I begin each session with a warm-up from head to toe, moving into a classic salutation series, then branching into a unique flow. Sessions include balancing, twisting, extension & resistance, ending with floorwork, and reclined meditation. I use visual imagery to inspire and fortify the experience.
What is yoga? Many have described hatha yoga (literally "physical" yoga) as a technique for achieving a higher state of awareness. This refers to the process of emptying excess physical energy through active poses, so that the body slips into the restful state of sivasana (corpse pose), prepared to enter meditation. Currently it is popular in the fitness world as a way to maintain a lean physique, and in the health world, a therapeutic technique for rehabilitation. Yet, hatha yoga is more than just a means to an end- it is a practice of mindfully weaving that higher consciousness back into our physical body. Using breath and will, we bring that awareness of alignment and strength of movement out from our core. A beginner student once described their experience, "It's like moving from the inside, out."
What is yoga? Many have described hatha yoga (literally "physical" yoga) as a technique for achieving a higher state of awareness. This refers to the process of emptying excess physical energy through active poses, so that the body slips into the restful state of sivasana (corpse pose), prepared to enter meditation. Currently it is popular in the fitness world as a way to maintain a lean physique, and in the health world, a therapeutic technique for rehabilitation. Yet, hatha yoga is more than just a means to an end- it is a practice of mindfully weaving that higher consciousness back into our physical body. Using breath and will, we bring that awareness of alignment and strength of movement out from our core. A beginner student once described their experience, "It's like moving from the inside, out."
"But, I have to get fit before I try yoga."... myth! Yoga is not only for the flexible. In fact, most of us yogis were not flexible to begin with. Everyone has to start somewhere, for everyone that means working patiently at the edge of our own personal physical limitations. Every great journey begins with the first step. so don't be hard on yourself if you cannot yet touch your toes! If your alignment is proper and your focus is inward, you are guaranteed big changes.
Some of the physical benefits of yoga that I have experienced through the years:
greater awareness of physical body & inner processes
Increased mobility, resilience, core strength
Increased sense of productivity, mental grounding, decreased stress
Contrary to a bodybuilder, who sports muscles that are tight & knotted, yoga creates a longer, leaner muscle. Explained on a simplified level- a bodybuilder's muscles are created by repetitive contraction. If the muscle is not reciprocally stretched, it creates a buildup of taught muscle cells & fibers, eventually creating scar tissue. Yoga creates longer, leaner muscle fiber using a combination of simultaneous stretching and resistance. When muscles are stretched, tiny tears in the fibers are created. In these tears new cell growth forms, eventually growing into a leaner, more alive & supple muscle.
Cultivating greater body awareness, you will notice great strengths or subtle imbalances in your body that you were not aware of before. Aside from improving posture and mobility, the circulatory benefits enhance the functioning of all the systems of the body. A regular practice will prevent the gradual stiffening of muscles and joint deterioration that comes with the aging process.
Practicing yoga teaches us where our challenges are. Not only physical challenges will arise. Often the greatest challenge is staying inwardly focused on the body and the moment without becoming sidetracked by the mind's patterns and wanderings. By drawing energy into the body, practicing physical asanas (poses) can still the tumultuous waters of the mind.
Beyond the physical- the "woo-woo" benefits of going deeper.
physical grounding- for those of us with our head in the clouds, this is important!
less anxiety in stressful or emotional situations,greater sense of intuition, vivid dreams
Practicing yoga helps us to become familiar with a higher state of meditation,
so it becomes increasingly easy to get there.
The Yoga of Everything All this being said, we can say that yoga is a tool for cultivating a deeper awareness within the body. But we can go a step further and use that tool in our everyday lives, interweaving the bliss and clarity of that higher state into our reality.
When brought to this level, the most mundane tasks become a challenge or a joy in their own right, for ex.- the yoga of standing in line, or the yoga of being patient with loved ones. It can also be the icing on the cake of life, such as the yoga of food, bringing joy and awareness to the act of eating. Most important is the yoga of just being, it is a celebration of the present moment.
If we can just "be" in a difficult pose, able to just sit with our discomfort or tightness and accept it as it is, it is at that moment that we will start to grow, to go deeper, further, be stronger. Inner strength manifests as core strength. As it is in our bodies, so shall it be in our lives, when we practice yoga in it's many walks.
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Rae Yoga now at ISC Guam
The Center boasts state-of-the-art “Inspiration Strength” fitness training equipment from STAR TRAC, as well as the best in free weights from IVANKO, including Certified Olympic bumper free weights. Upstairs you will find a traditional Japanese dojo/multi-purpose room, perfect for the total body group workout classes like Zumba, TRX, Body Pump, and Body Combat, as well as rooms for Spinning/RPM classes and Yoga. The facility also hosts classes for children and adults, ranging from intermediate through advanced in Judo, Jujitsu, and Aikido. Judo classes are taught by Sensei Joe, a 7th degree black belt. Aikido instructor, Menegishi Sensei, the only female on island to achieve such status, and Jujitsu instructor Ferrid Sensei, a 4th degree black belt & member of the 2000 French Olympic team. Along with being the newest addition to the revitalization and beautification of Hagatna project, ISC is going green.
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Rae Yoga now at ISC Guam
I'm happy to begin teaching Yoga at Guam's newest fitness facility.
It's a beautiful brand new space with bamboo floors & views of mango trees & hagatna cliffside... beginners encouraged. Take a tour of ISC and qualify for a free workout!
The Center boasts state-of-the-art “Inspiration Strength” fitness training equipment from STAR TRAC, as well as the best in free weights from IVANKO, including Certified Olympic bumper free weights. Upstairs you will find a traditional Japanese dojo/multi-purpose room, perfect for the total body group workout classes like Zumba, TRX, Body Pump, and Body Combat, as well as rooms for Spinning/RPM classes and Yoga. The facility also hosts classes for children and adults, ranging from intermediate through advanced in Judo, Jujitsu, and Aikido. Judo classes are taught by Sensei Joe, a 7th degree black belt. Aikido instructor, Menegishi Sensei, the only female on island to achieve such status, and Jujitsu instructor Ferrid Sensei, a 4th degree black belt & member of the 2000 French Olympic team. Along with being the newest addition to the revitalization and beautification of Hagatna project, ISC is going green.
ISC is open Monday through Friday, 5am- 10pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 6pm.
Join us today at the International Sports Center, and find YOUR center. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Guam-International-Sports-Center/239146589514187
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mango tree view
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Rae Yoga
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