V A R I A T I O N S

There are so many things I have learned and continue to learn in my yoga teacher trainings; anatomy, big Sanskrit words, how to access certain muscles, and how to plank while chanting … Jai Ganesh for my 500 hr Radiant Life sisters! lol

What I love the most is that we learned variations of poses, and how to implement and teach them while in class…  so we could assist anyone and meet each person on their mat where they are, so they can experience the benefits and consciousness of the pose/posture and build from there while still being in class with others. 

There are days we are not always feeling all of ourselves… maybe we didn’t hydrate enough, maybe we skipped lunch, maybe it was a long day of holding space for others, maybe Blanche in Accounting has plucked your last nerve… maybe you have too much inflammation, maybe you just need to be still, and maybe you have had an injury and need less impact. For me, it was many of these things but mostly menopause and injury. I acquired a hip injury that kept me from practicing at full energy, forcing me to slow down. It was a lesson in so many ways. Here I was… stuck not knowing how I would heal, lost in all the worry and stagnant energy. I began again slowly and adapting all the things I learned and stepped back into my practice at the rate and energy I could handle at the time. I adapted. On the days I was so sore, I worked with my breath and mind. I could still use the tools I learned but in varied ways. If I could not do a Headstand, I did Hare pose. I could not do a Shoulder Stand until recently due to inflammation, so I did Legs up the Wall or with a block at the base of my spine to get the same benefits… and on days it was too hard to sit cross-legged I sat in Egyptian pose to meditate. This is meeting yourself where you are at and honoring your body. Listening to your body and loving your body. 

Photo taken at Malone YMCA in Malone, NY

Yoga teaches us how to get right with how we sense our body. Advanced postures are great but the postures are also there to help even on the rough days. Practice does not always have to be a huge sweat fest… there will be times when you need to dial it back and not have such an intense practice. Times where you will need a slower pace, a gentler variation of the pose, a softer and more easeful way of settling into a posture. It is important to remember life is an ebb and flow… and the practice can ebb and flow with you.

Whether you are an advanced yogi, beginner, returning from time away from the practice, are in recovery from injury, or need help building foundations for your postures… we are here to meet you… where you are at, on your mat. 

We are here for you in every phase of life and every phase of being all of you <3

Thank you to my students who participated in this photo!

Be you. Be ALL of you.

Cheley :)

#beyoga #beyoga108