By Micaela Kimball — 2016
It might seem that combining yoga, often satirized as exercise for the elite, and dances of the African diaspora, which generally have more community-centric roots, are an unlikely mix.
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A few weeks ago, a Baptist minister in Texas started a rumble, or at least a small brouhaha, when he declared that yoga is not suitable for Christians. His point was that using the body for spiritual practice contradicts basic Christian principles.
Every day, we have to do the impossible. We have to submit to the magic reboot of sleep and then get up and line up all our selves into a unified being and get on with it. Nearly every day, new qualities of our selves come online to join in with all the others. This is a creative act.
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Certain types of yoga can produce a natural “high” that can help those recovering from addiction. For Troy Jackson, yoga proved to be such a powerful recovery tool that he’s now a yoga teacher.
Yoga is challenging (I struggle with the breathing), but it is a great option for Black men. We encounter daily obstacles including racism, physical and mental health challenges that require an outlet.
Lately during my yoga classes, I find myself feeling very emotional. Several times I have felt my eyes fill up with tears during a pose. This has happened even on good days. Why is this, and is it normal?
In describing the qualities of asana with the adjectives “sthira” and “sukha,” Patanjali uses language very skillfully. Sthira means steady and alert–to embody sthira, the pose must be strong and active.
You've tried everything else to ease your tension. Maybe it's time to opt for simple stretches that draw on contemporary science as well as thousands of years of traditional Chinese medicine.
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Sarah Powers explains the basics of Sun Salutations and why you should practice them regularly.