Last night I had the amazing opportunity to be 1 of 200 individuals practicing yoga on the basketball court at Madison Square Garden. Forget yoga, As a born and raised New Yorker, I wanted to stand center court where the Knicks play! Next event at Yankee Stadium please? Hell, I'll even do it at Citifield! I'll be the best yogi and travel to all the New York landmarks.
But, bringing it back, the event was hosted by Impact_Garden and Rebuild Globally in order to bring awareness and support to sustainability in the fashion industry. Angelina Lindvall let the group in a 1 hour Kundalini Yoga practice. This was my first ever experience with Kundalini and although it was not the yoga that I was used to, it was a new experience and I allowed myself to enjoy it and learn from it.
Kundalini Yoga focuses on navel activity, breath awareness and the alignment of the spine so that energy can flow through the body. Alternating nostril breathing cleanses our pathways so that energy can flow completely and fully through the body.
I had a hard time with Kundalini Yoga but embraced the strength and energy from those around me in order to get the most out of this opportunity. I am really good at following poses and understanding how those awaken the body, but breathing is a very hard activity for me. We held the breathing exercises for 3 minutes, which sounds like a short amount of time, but after 1 minute I started making to-do lists in my head. I couldn't get out of my own head. I set intentions, I breathed, I moved my body, I felt the energy, but I also felt my thoughts. I felt them as they weighed me down and blocked me from moving forward with things in my life. I felt the toxicity of energy and relationships that I have and felt the damage that they are doing to my mind and body. I felt the aches and pains of work, family, friends, school and life holding me back. I may not be ready to fully let go yet, but after last night I know I have to.
Part of the teachings at IIN are to focus on Primary Foods (the foods that are not on our plate) so that the food we do eat becomes secondary. Primary Foods consist of *relationship *physical activity *career and *spirituality. Once these are in balance, the food on our plate becomes secondary because we are already so full. Honestly, this is the biggest lesson for me and I haven't even started classes yet. My life is so out out balance right now and I feel it in my head and specifically in my stomach. My flare-ups include migraines, digestive issues such as upset stomach, constipation and/or diarrhea, uncontrollable hunger, mood swings, dry skin, brain fog, muscle weakness and sleepiness. These are symptoms that for 3 years I have been chasing answers to, and even though I know I have thyroid issues, mercury poisoning, leaky gut and adrenal fatigue, these issues always come up when one of my primary foods is not in balance (though I didn't know it at the time). Since starting my preparation for IIN and reading about Primary Foods, I began tracking when my flare-ups occurred. And more often than not it was when I was stressed in one of the 4 areas. Most recently, the stress of toxic relationships is causing me the most pain physically and emotionally. My goal on my journey the next year is to figure out who means the most to me and who will help make me a better person. I need to let go of what is hurting me and stop worrying so much. I need to listen to my body and know when I am hurting myself and the reasons why.
I think finding a practice of yoga and eventually meditation will be good for my body and soul because it will teach me to let go and to listen to my body. It will help me to stop having negative thoughts, to clear my mind and to support my own strength. So last nights practice, although it wasn't my favorite and I did find it challenging, awakened my mind to what I need most. Now I just need the help to make the changes!
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