We hope your Labor Day Weekend is filled with rest and gives you time to enjoy some cooler weather with family. On Monday September 4th we honor our collective well being with Mindful Movement and Yoga (online) at 10 am. You can sign up for Monday’s Mindful Movement or any of our classes using our Class Sign Up Page.
We are dedicating the month of September to exploring the different components of Balance. Ainslee will kick off our Balance Lunchtime Learning on Wednesday September 6th with Balance with the Gunas. Don’t know what the Gunas are? Come learn about them and how they may show up in your life and in your encounters with the world and yourself. Sign Up for Balance with the Gunas In Person at the Parlour or Online.
Sunday, September 17, join Sam Sather, Endorsed Insight Yoga Teacher, and the Insight Yoga Online Community (IYOC) for a 60-minute online workshop exploring the theme of working with restlessness and lethargy in life and meditation. The workshop will weave in a discussion, meditation and inquiry. Click HERE to register!
Weekly Candlelight Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra starts September 20th. We are offering the first class on Wednesday, September 20 at 6:15-7:30 p.m for FREE! Bring a friend and join us In-Person at The Parlour or Online. We look forward to sharing your journey within.
The five hindrances are mental states that challenge our ability to be mindful and present. These hindrances include sensual desire, ill will, sloth, worry or restlessness, and doubt. Such mental states have a potent effect on the way we see and interact with the world. As the name suggests, these qualities hinder our ability to perform effectively and respond appropriately. The hindrances are not to be seen as obstacles, but rather a valuable opportunity for self-inquiry. To overcome our hindrances we must become mindfully aware of their presence so we can learn how to best navigate our own unique path to liberation.
The first of the five hindrances is sensual desire. Simply put, sensual desire is a desire of the senses. Gil Fronsdal, author of Unhindered, says “while there is nothing inherently wrong with sensual pleasure, the desire for it is called a hindrance when it interferes with our ability to stay present.” These desires can create distraction and lead us toward unhealthy attachment. Through mindful contemplation, we can direct our attention away from our desires and become more aware of our subjective experience. When we are able to observe the nature of our desire, it can flow freely without action or inhibition and free us from attachment.
Ill will is motivated by anger or hostility. It manifests as destructive emotions towards ourselves, another person or a situation. Ill will can narrow our perspective and lead us to become more reactive and impulsive. We must be willing to direct our attention away from what we attribute our hostility to and mindfully investigate our inner experience. A regular meditation practice allows us to remain attentive and non-reactive to feelings of ill will. Over time, we strengthen our capacity for patience, resolve, and stability.
Fronsdal explains sloth, or lethargy, as forces in the mind that drain vitality and limit effort. Lethargy as a hindrance is different from feeling tired from a lack of sleep. When we are lethargic, we might become resistant towards a task or find it difficult to focus. Lethargy can manifest as complacency when we are persuaded by comfort and misdirected motivation. We are all affected by lethargy as our energy levels naturally rise and fall. It is important that we honor our energy and do what we can to create balance. Taking a morning walk or committing to an energizing asana practice can invite more vigor into your day.
The fourth hindrance is restlessness and worry. Restlessness is a state of agitation or over-excitement. Mental restlessness manifests as overthinking or scattered thoughts and hinders our ability to be at peace. Worry is an over concern for an imagined outcome. Sitting with feelings of worry or restlessness can challenge our patience. Yin yoga is a powerful approach to addressing feelings of restlessness. Join the Dogwood community on Wednesday evenings for Candlelight Yin and Yoga Nidra to apply mindfulness techniques to cultivate relaxation, awareness and insights to our mind, body and heart.
The fifth and final hindrance is doubt. Fronsdal suggests that “doubt as a hindrance is a mental preoccupation involving indecision, uncertainty, and lack of confidence.” When we doubt our own ability, we limit our potential for growth. It can manifest as indecisiveness or in holding back our fullest expression of self. Feelings of doubt are best approached from the seat of the observer. This may require that we question our deeply held beliefs or tend to unresolved feelings. Bringing to mind something that inspires and instills confidence can mitigate doubt and lead to a more positive self-regard.
Approaching each hindrance from a place of non-judgement liberates us on a path to freedom. By engaging in a regular meditation practice, we become mindfully aware of our hindrances. Overtime, we learn to be with and nurture each of them so they can be transformed into newfound freedom.
“Unhindered attention is a treasure. It is what allows mindfulness to begin doing its most penetrating work of liberation.” -Gil Fronsdal
If you have questions, reach out to us at info@dogwoodstudioyoga.com. We are here to help.
Amanda Dzengeleski is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher (RYT) and aspiring yoga therapist (she begins her yoga therapy training in October 2023!). She first discovered yoga as a form of mind-body medicine that cultivated a deeper state of self-awareness and personal growth. Using a functional and 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) and an Insight Yoga Institute (IYI) endorsed teacher. She 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.