I am often asked what type of yoga I teach. I was trained in Classical Hatha Yoga. Oh, is that the slow gentle yoga, you may ask? While classical #hathayoga can be slower, I would refrain from calling it gentle (though it can be and there are definitely times when we all need a more restorative practice). In my experience, I find the holding of poses has many physical and mental challenges and benefits: surrender and effort, opening energy channels in the body, breathing through the intensity, aligning and feeling the body through the inside, preparing the body for seated meditation, etc. One of my goals as a teacher is to provide opportunities for inner exploration. I could go on but will save that for a longer post.
This is NOT to say that a more fast paced vinyasa style (Ashtanga, power) class doesn’t have benefits. Vinyasa yoga is a type of Hatha Yoga. Over the years I have gravitated towards exploring more physically challenging active classes to balance my subtle home practice and teaching. All the while honing, knowing, and listening to my body; what it can do and what it needs. I urge students to do the same. I seek to blend slow mindful flows with longer deeper poses. It’s all in a balance and joining of opposites. Yin and yang. “Ha” (sun) and “tha” (moon).
Namaste.
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