Sacred Beach

-

I’m quite glad a question of sacred places is being discussed this week because it was just a few days ago my “sacred” yoga place changed drastically. I generally like to practice in my room, alone, with headphones in, so I am listening to the yogi’s voice only. This week was different. This week instead of lighting my incense and turning on my salt lamp, I decided to take a different approach. I woke up at 6am that morning,  grabbed my mat, put on a sweatshirt and sweatpants and headed down to the beach. It was a cold morning and frankly I really did want to sleep in. Nevertheless, I continued until my feet were in the sand. I went to my favorite spot just off the point in Ocean City and sat for a moment watching the waves. They were rough compared to how the rest of the summer waves had been. Then, when I was ready, I opened up my yoga app and picked a class titled “Balance for the Day.” 


The class was slow moving and focused on breathing techniques to feel centered. I felt completely centered, let me tell you that much. Between the waves crashing, the seagulls chilling next to me, and the sunrise in the distance… It was all I needed. The postures continued and with each change I could feel certain muscles stretching and relaxing. My favorite part was after the yoga sessions, I realized how awake I felt. It was around 7:30 in the morning and I felt like I had already had my coffee hours ago. 


This week was strangely different for me, but has made me realize where my new yoga location would be. I genuinely feel as though my location made all the difference in my experience this week. The serenity of the world around me in the wee hours of the morning made me feel like that was where I was supposed to be. This experience made me realize if I hadn't made that decision to get up and carry the task out, there is a good chance I would be doing yoga in my room the rest of the year. In my opinion, a sacred place is one you make sacred yourself. You need to go out and find the place where you can go to your happy place mentally. Sacred places are subjective.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Life Moves Fast

-
The best definition of yoga I have ever heard was, funny enough, said by Nick Rosen who is the subject of the film we watched, Enlighten Up!. The end of the movie is quoted by him claiming, “Yoga has no simple definition and that's the beauty of it.” Yoga is simply yoga. It is what you view it as in your life, and what it means to you only. Whether you practice yoga to get your mind off of the bad or use it simply for strength and flexibility, it goes beyond what a jog would do for the body. Yoga involves the mental aspect of exercise the entire time you are practicing, and even after in everyday activities. Yes, there is a mental strength involved in continuing to run when you really don't want to, or do those extra push ups, but yoga forces you to bring all of that up and completely push it out. To acknowledge, yes life is life, but right now you are here and you are doing this. Yoga moves beyond just physical exercise and emphasizes, more importantly, mental toughness. 
Read more

My First Attempt at Yoga

-
I’ll be honest, going into this semester I did not have many expectations for yoga. All things considered I now completely take it back. My first attempt at yoga was...embarrassing, however, it was eye-opening for myself. I have never been one to be able to completely, wholly relax. No matter what, it always seems as though my mind's going a million miles a minute with a checklist of items needed to be completed, a new thought about life, or an idea from a movie I saw… my mind is always going. I have attempted meditation in the past, but it seemed absolutely impossible to completely shut off the brain… I mean… what else are you supposed to do when you're sitting still with your eyes closed other than sleep or think? It wasn't until I completed my first yoga class that the lightbulb above my head went off.  My first class, titled “Lower Back Yin for Beginners,” consisted of a series of slow stretches meant to focus on the back specifically. As a surfer, snowboarder, hiker,
Read more