Respect You, Respect Others, Hold the Space, Repeat

We say fancy words in Yoga Class like Pranayama, Chatarunga, Adho Mukha, and Namaste. Namaste is becoming more pop-culture. I ask my weekly Kid’s Class, “What does Namaste mean?” More and more of them are able to respond because we go over this every week.

We all need to be reminded to be respectful to each other. Namaste BTW means, in the words from my own daughter, “The light in me honors the light in you.” It is a way of saying hello, good-bye, and a way to pass-the-peace and honor both the humanity and spirit in each of us and celebrate our differences that make us unique gifts. 

This week’s theme was the first fancy word listed above, Pranayama or Breath. Get comfy. Inhale and notice the pause before you exhale. Now exhale and notice the pause before your next inhale. Slow down the inhalations and exhalations. Even when we are doing the fun things that we love to do like yoga it is another thing to get to. This full breath helps create space in your body and mind.

I’ve seen it happen in class. A student comes in hurried from work, traffic and as soon as their mat hits the studio floor they take a deep breath and they begin to relax because they know what is coming. Hold that space for yourself too. See you in your seat, mat or in the air soon!