1.24.2009

Guided Imagery: What can it do for you?

As we practice yoga, each person moves through a series of asanas (postures) that engage the body and breath. However, we always contrast this activity at the end of each yoga class by finding ourselves in corpse pose, allowing the mind and body to clear and relax. Finding this calm and relaxing place allows us to encounter stillness and return to our life refreshed.

In the upcoming weeks and months of class, I plan to incorporate occasional guided imagery into the final moments of class. What is guided imagery? According to web md, this thought process is based on the fact that your mind and body are connected. Guided imagery is a program of directed thoughts and suggestions that guide your imagination toward a relaxed, focused state.

In some cases it may allow the subconscious mind to present discoveries and itself to the conscious mind. At other times, it is simply a way to see where we are and where we would like to be, carving out time and space for our imagination to flourish. In the hectic velocity of modern life, these moments of reflection and creativity may not be able to surface so easily. Through this process, I hope to help nourish the dreams and realizations of each yoga participant.

By the way, be sure to check out the new Barefoot Fitness Web Page to see our schedule, videos of some major yoga poses (featuring Emily Morris), and more!

Namaste,
Kat

1 comment:

Erin said...

This sounds like a great idea. There was a Rodney Yee program that I used to do that started with a progressive muscle relaxation. Also, there is another guided imagery that I enjoyed where you are standing in a waterfall and the water changes color to correspond with the different chakras starting with the bottom up, the the white light from the crown chakra washed away any debris the other chakras released.

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