Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Year of the Dragon ~ The Inspiration Continues

I have had so much fun teaching this week! I've been using The Year of the Dragon as inspiration in my classes which has brought a lot of depth and playfulness to the yoga mat. The Year of the Dragon signifies a year of transformation, but as the Dragon is a divine being, the transformation is meant for the greater good and ultimately to bring greater happiness into the world of form and being. We made happy dragon poses in kids and family yoga, we did dragon push-ups in the mixed-level classes, and explored backbends with balanced action to support the spine and nervous system throughout. With a serpentine form, and often paraded in undulating rhythm, the dragon reminds us that our physical lives will always be full  of ups and downs. As we remember the spirit that dwells in all things and connect to this energy, we can be happy and at peace even amidst turbulent times. Perhaps life is like a roller coaster ride. It's only scary if you let it be. So go ahead... throw up your arms and have some fun. It only hurts if we grip to tight. The Chinese New Year inspiration continues this week with Happy Floating Lotuses. We'll be working on hip openers to release low back tension and free the heart. I hope you'll come check it out. Find my Cincinnati teaching schedule here.