We have added Amanda’s Heart Centered Yoga and Meditation as part of our weekly offering! Starting April 17, Amanda will be leading Heart Centered Yoga and Meditation every Monday, 8:00-9:15 a.m. Start your week with an open heart, so that you can access your inner capacity for joy and resilience.
Written by Amanda Dzengeleski
When we experience joy in our yoga practice - the whole body benefits. The mind, body, and heart are aligned. When we connect with joy, we are reminded of why we show up to practice yoga. There’s less need to put pressure on ourselves, and instead we find space to live more intentionally and in harmony on and off the mat.
Most of us practice yoga to step out of our minds and away from the stressors of everyday life, but as our physical practice evolves, it’s easy to become attached to the aesthetic of a pose and lose sight of our reason for showing up. Putting pressure on ourselves to perform a certain way in our yoga practice can interrupt our wellbeing and add stress to our nervous system.
Try approaching your practice from a beginner’s mindset to find joy in simplicity. You might find playfulness in transitions between poses or smile when you wobble in tree pose. Rediscovering joy in your yoga practice frees you from the attachment to what your practice looks like, and attunes you to your felt experience. As you arrive in a pose, take a moment to pause and check in. Notice where you might be exerting too much force and invite yourself to soften towards a place of ease. If you find this difficult at first, you might bring to mind something that brings you joy - perhaps a person, a place, or an experience. When you notice you are moving from a reactive place, kindly return to this image of joy.
As a loving reminder, all of your feelings are valid and part of your human experience. Notice when negative thoughts, feelings, or narratives arise and witness them as they are. As best you can, turn towards those thoughts and feelings with loving kindness. When we illuminate our inner resources, we are more equipped to respond to difficult emotions. We are reminded of the beauty that exists within ourselves and the rest of the world.
As said by Thich Nhat Hanh, “Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. We need only to be awake and alive in the present moment.” Joy is not to be created, it is an innate quality that resides within us all, but we must first learn to be present with what is.
Positive affirmations are a powerful tool to ground your awareness in the present moment. Studies suggest that affirmations have the ability to broaden a person’s perspective and reduce the effect of negative emotions, thus decreasing reactivity and promoting wellbeing. When practiced with intention, affirmations can be an incredible resource to support you in mind, body and heart. Consider the following affirmations as inspiration to cultivate joy in your yoga practice.
“I radiate joy.”
“I am pure bliss.”
“I welcome freedom, energy, and lightness.”
“I move with ease.”
“I choose happiness.”
Yoga teaches us to be kind and gentle with ourselves, to nurture ourselves from within to cultivate joy that can be shared with others. Joy exists all around us, but we must create space to let it in. Starting April 17, Amanda will be leading Heart Centered Yoga and Meditation every Monday, 8:00-9:15 a.m. Start your week with an open heart, so that you can access your inner capacity for joy and resilience.
Click HERE to get our class sign up calendar. Use it to sign up for Heart Centered Yoga and Meditation or any other group class that meets your needs.
If you missed Amanda’s 4-week Heart Centered Yoga series, the recordings are now available in the video library!
Green, Gold and Platinum Subscription include unlimited use of our video library with our monthly rotating on demand videos.
We always love hearing from our community. Reach out to us with your questions or comments at info@dogwoodstudioyoga.com. We are here to help.
Amanda Dzengeleski is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher (RYT), lifelong student, and lover of movement. She first discovered yoga as a form of mind-body medicine that cultivated a deeper state of self-awareness and personal growth. Using a trauma-informed approach, Amanda empowers her students to move freely and intentionally in celebration of body, mind, and soul.
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.