About Yoga Diaries
My yoga journey began about 6 1/2 years ago. My first steady practice was in the Kundalini tradition, and I was instantly drawn to it after seeing a friend go through a 180 degree transformation, both mind and body (all for the better). She shared her enthusiasm for her yoga practice with me and it did not take long for me to become hooked. When I moved to San Diego 4 years I ago I was left searching for a new place to practice, and for about a year that place was my bedroom. I Eventually made a move to the small coastal town of Encinitas. Little did I know, it was a Southern California yoga epicenter, as well as home to the Self-Realization Fellowship Temple. The great thing was, I now had a myriad of choices and I began exploring many different styles in hopes of reconnecting with a my practice and finding my ‘yoga home’.
Last April I wandered into an Anusara Yoga studio in Carlsbad, Bodacious Living Yoga. My curiousity and the studio’s depth of schedule kept me coming for 2 consecutive days. On the second day it was brought to my attention that the studio was hosting a 2 day workshop with Sianna Sherman. Being an Anusara ‘newbie’ I did not know that Sianna was an internationally recognized teacher of Anusara. After attending the first day’s arm balance workshop it was clear to see why. It became obvious very early on that there was something different about this Hatha style of yoga. What caused me to gravitate to it (initially) was that the 3 teachers I came in contact with those first 3 days of my Anusara practice had a very different understanding of the body than most any other teacher I had worked with. They spoke about alignment in a way that I had never been exposed to; that, coupled with the Universal Principles of Alignment, brought my practice to a whole different place and it happened in just 3 days! Advanced poses all of a sudden became lighter and less effortful, it was a very intriguing paradox. Little did I know, the ability to hold two paradoxes (muscular and organic energy, inner and outer spiral, Shiva and Shakti) in balance in order to align with something bigger (the divine), is exactly what Anusara Yoga is all about. The best part, is that its that same balance that we all strive for in our lives.
It become very apparent to me early on that my yoga practice was about much more than the yoga, it is about more than the physical aspects of the practice. For me, yoga has been a great inspiration and teacher. I feel that one of the biggest things missing from my practice is the articulation of what I have learned, an outlet for introspection. Hence, the creation of YogaDiaries. Although my primary yoga practice at this time is Anusara, I am still practicing Kundalini regularly and am greatly interested in what other styles of yoga have to offer. It just so happens that the creation of this blog coincides with the beginning of my Anusara Immersion. Over the next 9 months (total of 108 hours) I will be exploring the fundamental principles of Anusara Yoga philosophy and practice. This is not meant to be a blog about only Anusara Yoga, but instead my experiences along my particular journey. My hope is that anyone with an interest in yoga (however small), other yogis and spiritual seekers alike, will find my introspections inspiring. And, more importantly, will inspire others through commenting on the blog and offering introspections of their journeys.
If this blog can bring just one person even the tiniest bit of inspiration; in the same way that my yoga practice, and those it has brought me in contact with, have brought to my life then my intention has been met.
Namaste,
Gretchen
