Written by Aviva Tulasi and Sam Sather
We can’t separate the three bodies of existence: physical body, mind and spirit. Our beliefs of who we are drive our experience. Yoga can support the integration of our experience. The many practices of yoga can help us align our physical body, thoughts and emotions with our spirit or true essence. Yoga can leave a positive imprint on our thought habits. In class we sometimes refer to this phenomenon as repatterning habits or beliefs that hold us back from our freedom. Adding more meditation in a yoga practice can help cultivate calm and improve our mood, increasing overall quality of life, supporting healthy body, mind and spirit.
Meditation can counteract negative stress. When we meditate and learn how to experience the present moment, we activate our parasympathetic nervous system which can be described as “rest-and-digest”. When we are in “rest-and-digest”, the body is able to slow down to a natural pace supporting our systems to run as they should. Penn Medicine says, a daily meditation routine has been linked to lower heart rate and blood pressure, which may lower your risk of heart disease. The article also notes that meditation can benefit the physical body by decreasing inflammation, increasing immunity, reducing symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), easing symptoms of arthritis and increased fertility. The physical benefits are seen as meditation takes us away from negative stress and soothes our nervous system.
Learning to meditate doesn’t happen overnight! Beginning a meditation practice can be very simple! Carve out just 5 minutes/day for yourself to practice steadying the mind. Read Meditation: Why, What, When, Where, & How to learn simple steps to meditate.
Dogwood Studios has group meditation sessions to support your practice:
Aviva leads an early Morning Meditation, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6am.
Group Meditations happen every Friday at 11:25 am right after Mindful Movement with In Person and Online option.
You can also find meditation sessions on our video library.
Click here to Sign Up for one of our group classes.
The next offering of Osteoporosis and Yoga Workshop will be held on August 20th at 1-5 pm. Learn more HERE.
In Person Yoga Classes continue at Dogwood Studios.
In Person option for 10am Mindful Movement and Yoga on Wednesdays will be at The Parlour on Mann’s Chapel.
In Person option for 10am Mindful Movement and Yoga and Group Meditation on Fridays will be at Yoga Shala.
Dogwood Studios will be hosting Morning Yoga at the Garden Wednesdays at 7:30am starting September 7th. Register using the The North Carolina Botanical Garden website.
Reach out to the Dogwood Team with any questions at info@dogwoodstudioyoga.com. We are here to help.
Aviva Chaye Tulasi is a team member at Dogwood Studios. She is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT). She applies the teachings of classical yoga to reduce the effects of negative stress and to balance the nervous system. Aviva is available for private sessions. Email Aviva at yogawithtulasi@gmail.com with any questions.
SAM Sather, founder of Dogwood Studios, is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), individualizes the yoga practice with appropriate modifications for participants’ unique bodies and medical histories with a focus on finding calm and improving health. She offers several live, online and in person yoga classes as well as private sessions so you can focus on your needs one-on-one.