CHAKRA YOGA LEVEL 1 COURSE ENDS TODAY BUT A NEW ROUND OF CHAKRA CLASSES BEGIN ON MONDAY 27 MARCH 10.30AM-12PM
The first 2017 Chakra Yoga Level 1 Course ended today beautifully! I’m so pleased that the 8 week course addressed all the 7 chakras and gave attention predominantly to the value and necessity of proper breathing practices. It was also my first time teaching the course so fluidly facing one challenge after another with venue and the lack of power point access until towards the last two classes. However, what this taught me was to be more fluid, more reaching inward to using all that I’ve already learned and practiced. It indeed made for better and more responsive classes.
The course covered a general overview of the Chakras on the first lesson, what they mean, why are they important to know and work with and then the value of breathing correctly right from day 1. From then each week the class learned about one chakra per week, understanding the physiological aspects as well as the socio-emotional aspects of each chakra. We also practiced the related asanas and related breath and concentration meditation practice. Each class build on the earlier lessons. My style of teaching is quite didactic. Students were often asked to give me feedback on how their practice felt or asked questions about any experiences they had. I fostered questions and a thinking and responsive mind. Even the shy ones in class become much more responsive by the time we worked on the Throat chakra.
Wherever opportunity arose I made links to different spiritual traditions and a healthy belief system that could take people deeper into their practice and understanding about energies and the world outside of the physical senses. I really enjoyed so many of the students’ sharing when they linked it to their own personal and spiritual experiences or their inner dance journeys. The lessons were certainly rich, fluid and responded also to the situation and circumstances of the day.
It was a delight that we had a combination of outdoor and indoor classes, almost equal in number. Through this shift of venues, students who would not have otherwise practiced outdoor came to appreciate how nature can actually enhance one’s practice just by us tuning in to the abundance and healing chi and prana all around. Even the sounds of nature were often fodder for guided meditations.
The last class started next to the open space and shrine of Lord Shiva, the originator of Yoga thousands of years ago. I took the occasion to explain the symbolism behind Shiva-Shakti energy and the corresponding symbolisms of the serpent-kundalini power as well as helping students to better understand how a personal spiritual practice which is open and compassion can take us much further in our own evolution.
So much more to say, but for now just to share my gratitude and appreciation for the 20 odd students – some who came for all 8 sessions and some for fewer than that – but all who came committed interested and most I dare say gained a lot in just 8 weeks.
The next round of CHAKRA YOGA LEVEL 1 COURSE will commence in Sept 2017. Dates to be announced later. Meanwhile an 8 week round of Chakra Yoga class series will commence in 2 weeks time on Monday 27 March.
Namaste and blessings! Sarah-Joy