Discover a yoga that supports your spiritual practice AND your body! An ad in Yoga Journal and this video introduced me to Svaroopa® yoga, a non-athletic yoga that releases the tension around your spine from your tailbone up your spine. I had only ever been to one yoga class years ago in Australia, I had briefly learned Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) in Oneness University trainings and practiced that occasionally: I was not a yoga asana practitioner by any means.
While I recommend seeking a Svaroopa® teacher in your area, this video is a good start. You’ll need to collect blankets and firmer couch cushions/pillows and perhaps use a chair, couch or coffee table to put your legs up on so your lower spine is truly on the floor in floor poses. I paused the video after each pose to move the blankets & pillows around.
During my clumsy practice at home with Krishna Sprinkle, courtesy of this interview on YouTube, I was amazed to experience what I’d been calling the Presence arise during this asana practice and it lingered with me for hours afterwards; much like the deep peace, calm and no-thinking state I’ve experienced with Oneness deeksha, OMs, practices in the Oneness Temple and Braco gazings.
With more study in yogic texts and teachings from the founder of Svaroopa®, Swami Nirmalananda, I’ve since realized that what I was calling the Presence is yogically called bliss: who knew? Plus, not surprisingly, a lot of Svaroopis refer to Svaroopa® yoga as bliss yoga!
Thus inspired, last month I started on about a 2-year path to become a Svaroopa® yoga teacher, completing the Foundations course. Early in the course, I experienced a significant release of tension of the muscles in front of my sacrum. The next day, I could feel those muscles supporting me, rather than my abdominals at the front of the belly trying to support me. Two days later in the course, I experienced more sacral release during Shavasana, thus surprising myself by discovering the deep healing potential of a properly supported and aligned Shavasana pose. My posture is changing, I walk differently and I feel that I still need to “Do more yoga” to continue my releases.
If you live in the Pacific Northwest, contact me if you are interested in experiencing Svaroopa® yoga or attending a class, workshop, satsang or Foundations course as I am preparing to organize events. Also check the master calendar at the Svaroopa Vidya Ashram site to find events in your area and click the Freebies button on that site if you want to read more about Svaroopa® or listen to recent satsangs with Swami Nirmalananda.