Gentle Yoga

The first yoga class I went to was Gentle Yoga, it was a low intensity class  rooted in Hatha and Yin yoga, including elements of meditation and pranayama (breath-work) for balance and relaxation.
I struggled a lot with this class, it was very slow moving with lots of emphasis on breath which is something I am not good at.
Throughout my life I have been involved with very physical activities that kept my constantly moving so this concept was completely new! I was supposed to hold a pose, and just... hold it? It took everything in me not to fidget. I also had this constant urge to get up and run laps around the room and leap over my fellow students. Like I said, it was a struggle for me. It was also an hour long and trying to be quiet and calm for an hour is WAY harder that I thought.

While this is not a class that I can do everyday I can appreciate the new perspective it gave me. I needed to quiet my mind and sync myself up and this class offered some structure to do so.

 I have found it very helpful at night when I can not seem to fall asleep. I start by either setting an intention or just letting my mind flow, sometimes I repeat a sort of mantra in my head such as "release, relax, appreciate" or anything I am dealing with at the moment.

If you are like me and your mind is racing all day this is a class that you should look into to supplement your yoga and health practice.

 I have tried a couple different routines on youtube and I love Tara Stiles' "Before Bed Time Yoga"- the intro is a little long but the routine is very calming!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guT7gt-lBes&list=PLF51468E0577E15B6&index=12