Self-Practice, Pranayama, and Restorative Classes
Introduction (Jackie)
Our new specialist classes allow you dedicated time to build up the requisite set of skills for a life-long pursuit of yoga. These include elements such as: 1. a nuanced understanding of your own body and mind (e.g. self-practice), 2. developing a keen observation of the breath (e.g. pranayama), and 3. how to adjust your practice in times of stress and/or injury, or nourish yourself more deliberately (e.g. restorative).
Central Yoga School decided to offer these customised class times so more tools could be added to your ‘yoga toolbox’.
And before you think, ‘this isn’t for me - I’m not ready’… know that in large part, readiness is developed by direct action. As adults, because most of life is about ‘learning by doing,’ your enthusiasm and wish to try is much more important than being at a predetermined level. Read more about each class and think about adding a new kind of class into your personal schedule.
Self-Practice (James)
The Monday Self-Practice session is a time set aside for more experienced students to practice in the energy of a dedicated yoga space, taking advantage of the use of our wide range of props, and working within the dynamism of a group of like-minded people.
The time shown on the timetable is 6 - 8.30am, however you do not necessarily need to arrive at 6am. You can arrive at anytime within this two and a half hour window as long as you finish up by 8.30am.
Some of the teachers will be also practising at this time, so they can help guide you and provide a practice sequence, if required.
Learning in a class environment with the verbal instructions and physical adjustments of a teacher is needed for the first few years of your practice, and for a lot of students this is all they want: to be guided through a well-structured sequence to obtain a balanced effect on body and mind.
To be able to practise on your own in your own space is a skill that any serious practitioner, or aspiring teacher, is eventually drawn to develop.
A teacher instills direction, technique and discipline, qualities that need to be cultivated to progress to self-practice.
Knowing what you are doing, why you are doing, and where you are going in a yoga practice provides a sense of direction. Through regular class attendance you start to become familiar with the names and the shapes of the poses, understand the various categories of poses, where one category goes in relation to another, and eventually how to sequence a practice. In self-practice you are then able to tinker things to suit your own personal circumstances.
Technique includes attention to alignment and precision in the performance of asanas so that the correct energy channels in the body are forged, and through this, a heightened state of awareness accessed. When this awareness and sensitivity is cultivated from regular class attendance, this is best further developed and refined by listening to the feedback of the body within the internal space of your own practice.
Having a teacher direct you in a class situation also instills the discipline required to generate a focus that enables effective time to be spent with your self on your mat in your own space. Our mundane mind will always be drawn towards distractions, or tend to get dispirited easily. A teacher will coax you to work towards, or do things, or hold things, that you would not make yourself do on your own. This discipline, over time, creates a heightened state of awareness that enables you to transcend your everyday mind state. When you are able to reach this place your self-practice becomes more effective and is able to be sustained.
The step from class attendance to self-practice is a bridge too far for many, however the Monday morning time-slot provides a means to make that transition easier. If you have some experience behind you and are interested in attending this session, speak with one of the teachers, or make a booking.
Pranayama (Lorenzo)
If you have been a student at Central Yoga School for a while, you know that we don’t start by teaching meditation techniques, pranayama, or seated practices.
Iyengar yoga, as a traditional style, recognizes a fundamental principle of yoga philosophy: to uncover and understand everything in the Universe, from the gross to the subtle. In the context of Yoga philosophy, "gross" refers to tangible elements like the five elements of earth, water, fire, space, and ether, while "subtle" pertains to less concrete aspects like chitta (consciousness) and buddhi (discriminative intelligence).
In our yoga practice, the journey begins with the gross. Here, "gross" refers to the tangible aspects of our bodies—our arms, legs, hands, and feet. That is why we focus on arm variations and working the feet properly to begin with. A solid understanding of the gross elements of the body helps pave the way for grasping the more subtle aspects, such as the mind and breath.
Asanas serve as the perfect starting point for our practice, as they cultivate strength, elasticity, and flexibility within the practitioner. Standing poses build bone strength and stamina, both necessary for advancing to seated yoga practices. Poses like the chair backbend help to soften and expand the lung tissue and intercostal muscles, allowing for better breath flow during pranayama. Additionally, inverted asanas like headstand and shoulderstand enhance focus and concentration, while also improving lung capacity due to increased blood flow to the torso when inverted.
While it is essential to practice asanas first, our yoga journey should naturally evolve toward the more subtle aspects, with Pranayama being the next step after asana. Pranayama involves the conscious manipulation and regulation of breath. In Iyengar Yoga, it can be practiced lying down in savasana with support or in a seated position. The benefits of pranayama are numerous: improved energy levels, better circulation, deeper mental clarity, as well as enhanced digestion and sleep.
In my pranayama class every Friday morning at the school, we explore various breathing techniques using different props to make the practice accessible. While we may start with a couple of asanas, the 60-minute class primarily focuses on pranayama. We often begin in savasana, exploring different methods to support the spine and open the chest with bolsters and blankets, creating space in the torso to receive breath. The head and neck are also carefully positioned and supported so that, as the lungs and torso become active, the brain can remain passive yet vigilant and receptive to the breath.
Next, we typically move to seated pranayama techniques, such as crossing the legs in swastikasana. Props like blankets for sitting or the wall for back support make the seated practices accessible. Throughout the class, we aim to quiet the sense organs and still the mind to create conditions for observing and manipulating our breathing. A crucial first step is simply becoming aware of our own breath. While asanas represent a practice of doing, pranayama is about receiving the breath, something that cannot be forced. Towards the end of the class, we lie down again to enjoy a more passive savasana. Although this is a standard sequence, the order of practices can vary while still following a pattern of alternating seated and supine exercises.
If you have been a student at the school for around six months or so, I encourage you to try pranayama, even if you are only attending level 1 classes. Incorporating a pranayama routine will not only provide the benefits mentioned above, but it will also deepen and complement your asana practice.
Restorative (Andrew)
Modern life is very busy.
Our physical and emotional states are constantly pulled in different directions as we navigate a changing hand of responsibilities and commitments, in a dynamic and uncertain environment.
In navigating this busy world, we can sometimes find ourselves unknowingly caught in the rhythm and draw of our surroundings, and lose touch with our inner selves and our inner world.
A restorative yoga practice serves as a counterpoint against the brash noise of the world, and a lifestyle of rushing and grinding. The atmosphere of the class is deliberately quiet, poses are held for a long period of time, and instructions ask more for attention than for effort. The environment in this space gives us the opportunity to reconnect with ourselves and to cultivate a contained, sattvic energy.
Iyengar yoga considers proper alignment as fundamental to the practice. In a restorative class, we treat the arrangement of the body with great care, and allow for the poses to work their way into us. Props are placed to create specific conditions for the energy of the body. For example, we might place support under the forearms and elbows in a forward bend so that the muscles of the shoulder and neck can soften and lengthen.
Through a restorative practice, a student will become more in tune with their subtle internal energies and habits. It’s not uncommon in a restorative pose to realise that you have been unnecessarily clenching a muscle out of habit, and you may then experience what it feels like to release that. As the muscle loosens, you may feel a corresponding mental or energetic release.
It may surprise some people to hear that a restorative practice is difficult for some. Whilst some treasure the opportunity to slow-down and savour a quiet journey within, for others, this experience fills them with a restless anxiety. The mind races, grasping for thoughts to fill the silent, empty space, often with a barrage of questions, worries, doubts and distractions. These are all symptoms of a being that is so used to being stimulated that it can no longer sit still.
If this happens to you, whether often or in part, we must simply accept that this is part of the yoga practice. It’s the yoga system teaching you, informing you of something that needs attention and cultivation. It marks you out as someone who potentially has the most to gain by incorporating a restorative element into your practice.
The variety and depth of the yoga system is its beauty and its essence. Including a restorative element to your practice, alongside the more dynamic, active and rajasic classes, helps to keep you and your practice well-rounded and well-adjusted. Please feel welcome to come along to a Sunday afternoon restorative class, and see what the experience feels like.
FROM THE TEACHERS AT CENTRAL YOGA SCHOOL
Our qualified yoga teachers are passionate about the Iyengar method. It is taught in a considered and inspiring manner, with attention to detail and instructions are delivered according to capacity.