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| Is
Yoga Medicine? |
| Fifteen
years ago, my esteemed Yoga teacher
and mentor was questioned by a
fellow student regarding the benefit
of practicing Yoga. He half jokingly
replied that Yoga is like "snake
oil", it's good for whatever
ails you. His reply was met with
laughter by all; it was funny,
all right, but it was also tantalizing,
suggesting as it did limitless
possibilities for the Yoga student.
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| In
the years that followed, I have found that
the practice of Yoga offers a mental and physical
space in which to discover one's previously
unseen capabilities, as well as weaknesses.
The various poses are demanding, challenging
the student to develop strength and flexibility
in parts of his body that have been weak and
stiff for as long as he can remember. After
my demonstrating a particular pose, many a
student has responded, "My body doesn't
do that!." My job as the teacher is to
guide my students into that pose, encouraging
them to attend to the new sensations they
experience, as well as to observe their own
reactions to the physical challenge. In this
way, the student has many opportunities to
know himself in a deeper way, even to see
himself in a new light. |
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is exactly this, this seeing oneself from
a fresh perspective, which opens the door
of healing and renewal. The adventure of the
practice and study of yoga lies in its transformative
power. I found this to be true for myself
when I began my own exploration of Yoga, but
over the past twelve years that I have been
teaching Yoga, this truth has become more
and more apparent to me As I have enjoyed
this wonderful position of teacher, I have
observed many students experience new truths
about themselves. Sometimes these experiences
have been primarily physical, I think about
a current student who is 83 years-old. He
now enjoys much freer movement in his shoulders,
and is delighted by the degree of freedom
he now has in his arms, neck and back. Perhaps
even more often, as a class draws to a close,
I see tension drain away from students' faces,
their eyes becoming clearer and brighter,
their skin taking on a healthier glow. They
often do look younger, less burdened by the
difficulties of their everyday lives. What
is it about Yoga that sets this endeavour
apart from simple physical exercise? |
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The
simplest explanation is that hatha Yoga sits
you down into the present. This present moment
is the exact time and space; the only time
and space in which you can fully live. As
your body and mind meet in the concentration
of doing a Yoga pose your experience clarity,
focusing your attention, muscles, bones, and
breath toward experiencing the particular
pose. Again and again, as you approach each
pose, this capability to meet each sensation
with awareness increases. This experience
of harmony of body and mind then transfers
to your everyday life; you are more alert
to the beauty and wonder of life that has
always been right before your eyes and in
fact, available to all your senses. This is
the magic of Yoga.
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Mary
Frankos has been teaching yoga for
12 years in Balatimore, Annapolis,
and Columbia areas. Mary is a certified
message.
Call 410-792-8401 or
e-mail MAFRANKOS@aol.com
for more information.
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Interview
with Student Scott Mier
by Paul Swainson |
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To
Grapple with Reality?
by Bryce
Burrows |
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3
x No Sen (the art of timing)
by Ethan Weisgard |
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Is
Yoga Medicine?
by Mary
Francos |
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