COURTNEY ROHAN YOGA

When I sit for meditation, I take the time to move first. Even if the movement is just rolling through the vertebra in the neck and movement through the stuck places with the breath; I get the chitta vritti (mind chatter) out of the way through the breath and movement. I find compassion for my body as it prepares for the work that is to come next. I create a clear channel for reception. I open my muscles and flesh. Historically, Yoga in India was not just asana (poses). Yoga was meditation, prayer and chanting as well. The compartmentalization of Yoga and the creation of brands have, without a doubt, forced many a beginner to tell their teacher they are not flexible enough; they can not get into the “pretzel pose,” Yoga Nidrasana, which makes Yoga look like circus fun. The segregation of Yoga in studios is definitely one of the many ways practitioners have come to teach one type of asana over another, chant or focus. It is one of the reasons that prayer is left out of the studio and...

I don’t know enough about Reflexology, to tell you firmly about the feet, the way I would like to. I think that the feet are fascinating. They aid the body in knowledge that surpasses the mind. They connect to grounding energy like no other part of the body and remind us that we are human beings, while subtly offering us a chance to remember our divinity. I have recently noticed in myself some holding in my right big toe. I noticed it in deep squats (Malasana and its straight-leg variations); the muscles surrounding the joint felt inflexible. This inaction was keeping me from connecting fully. I got to thinking about reflexology and the relationships from muscle to vital organ; the idea of this tightness in my toe being indication of a weakness in a particular organ. This is something that I will begin to address for myself with yoga. I will locate asana for myself addressing the stretching of my toes (on both sides of my body) and will see the difference. I will breathe through th...

Addiction-- Yoga Helps I want to start by acknowledging that everyone has addictions. They are the holding of energy, about a specific topic, in the body. They are the repetition of repeated thinking about the same issue, as in volume, not problem. They are the constant seeing of the same color; the effect of disconnection from the whole picture. In recent, the death of some fabulous artists has startled me to the rampant work of addictive energies. What has been the factor in keeping us in this roundabout? Amy Winehouse, Etta James, Whitney Houston, (in death order)…I am certain that I am forgetting someone. We have recently lost some greats!! I think it most important now to look at the pattern. I suppose, in a sense, it is like an equation that is not solvable but is worth recognizing. It is recognizing that drugs are affecting lives, whole lives, but that the chemical is not really the true focus. The real work has to happen internally. It happens in the cells. It is through ...

I’ve recently been around many pregnant Yoginis. It is wonderful to see us birthing life. However, kind that notion, I know for a fact that I did yoga differently when I was carrying life other than my own. What an honor. What can you do about this transition for both of the lives involved? Well, the first thing you should not do is stop doing yoga. Let your practice evolve into what you need now more than ever, calm and relaxation. Let your body become the motion that will lull you both into a restful orbit. (Go forward with ease and recognize that every pose is not for everyone. If you have complications within your pregnancy, you should seek a doctor to be certain this series of poses will not put either you or your baby in jeopardy.) Poses to include in your time on the mat: To Malasana—begin standing in Tadasana—Mountain pose—Shoulders rolled back and down; neck extended to assist energy movement out through the crown of the head; lift your toes and plant them one by one...