deepening

So, to continue a thought from two posts ago...

I sought deeper ways to teach and even though the thought of breaking down walls was really scary to me, I decided to jump in full-force.

I really wanted to teach a chakra balancing class but had only taken such classes-- never taught them. ("Chakra" translates to "wheel" in Sanskrit and refers to the seven major seats of energy in the midline of the body... it's part of the larger energy system on which Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine are based. Imagine a spinning wheel of energy at the following locations: base of spine, groin, solar plexus, heart, throat, brow, and crown of head.)

Fortunately I have some really kind and open private clients who were willing to be guinea pigs: my husband for one, Michelle, and Liz-- so I was able to teach the practice three times before unleashing it on a group of victims-- er, students.

I followed the format in Anodea Judith's Chakra Balancing Kit. We started with the active practice which focuses on bringing awareness up from the base and out through the crown of the head. It's really great for a morning practice and lasts about 35 minutes. Then we did the seated chakra meditation, which is meant to bring your energy back down from the crown of the head through the body into the base, grounding you and preparing you for sleep. However, I taught this sequence as a year-end/year-beginning practice for the New Year 2010. Instead of directing each movement or meditation or posture with a daily focus, I widened the scope to encompass the whole year. (For example, instead of asking, at the heart or anahata chakra, "Where do you feel you could have loved more today?" I asked "Where could you have loved more this year?")

This practice and especially my practice teaching it has really opened me up to possibilities with asana as awakening deeper places. It's also helped me view the postures from a different perspective... instead of focusing on my burning thighs as I hold Warrior Two, I focus on my inner fire, my core, the manipura chakra and the energy and power I hold there. The focus becomes more intense, inward, and ultimately rewarding.

I'm still exploring ways to deepen the level on which I teach. It's been a really fun challenge, as I'm forced to confront mental and emotional blocks I have that get in the way. I feel like I'm forced to be more creative, more dynamic, and more aware. It's all good, as the saying goes.