Friday, July 20, 2012

The Power of Om


Went to restorative yoga the other day and almost turned around because there were so many women on the floor. I don't ever remember this particular restorative class being so full.

The woman next to me asked Sharon, who was helping but not the official teacher, if the class is always full and she said no -- the capacity is 15; there were 19 people but it seemed like more. Guess lots of people were in need of restoration.

It took me a while to settle down but before I knew it, 75 minutes had gone by. Got up on Thursday and felt really rested. Prior to that, my eyelids have felt like a ton of bricks in the a.m.

The takeaway from restorative class via Madonna who was at the helm:
Resting is not idleness.
Speaking of Madonna, love to hear her chant Om. She takes a deep breath and just takes it away...

8 comments:

  1. Well you have inspired me...I have been wanting to start the tradition of chanting om in my classes and needed this kick in the pants!

    So happy to hear you are getting some proper relaxation! Its not a luxury but a very important component of staying balanced and healthy!

    Resting is not idleness .....no truer words have ever been said. :-)

    Namaste.

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  2. That's cool that you'll incorporate om into your classes. It moves me whenever I hear it.

    Namaste...

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  3. My prenatal classes have a lot more restorative elements in them than before. At first, I thought it would bother me, but it hasn't. The relaxing through gentle movement helps me, instead, and I enjoy it.

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  4. Sara,

    It didn't bother me, per se, but I did spend time thinking "I'm sure not burning many calories." :)

    After waking up and feeling so rested, I definitely want to practice restorative yoga more.

    BTW, glad that you're enjoying it...

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  5. To stay healthy you must fully relax. By deeply resting you are able to lower the levels of cortisol in they body, stimulate digestion, elimination and organ function. Restorative yoga also helps to decrease the levels of triglycerides and blood sugars while increasing the function of parasympathetic nervous system and lymph system. Stress is a killer! :-) I think once you relax your body is able to let go of old patterns and start to function properly again. Just saying....rest can be as important as exercise! Love you and don't work too hard.

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  6. Thanks for the input. Funny that you should tell me not to work too hard because I have been on a roll lately when what I really need to do is shift into a higher gear with the nutrition...

    Love you too and thanks for making me smile for the fiftieth time. :)

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  7. Speaking of nutrition have you ever explored Ayurveda? It is the ancient food science associated with yoga that helps you keep your body in balance based on your mind/body type. There will be a workshop held this fall at EFS with Mike Elif the only Ayurveda guy in St. Louis. Come with me! :-)

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  8. Have not explored Ayurveda but will look into it...

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