On the road to self-discovery with Kripalu yoga

Kripalu yoga is an integrated system of self-transformation that helps you realize your full potential.

The journey begins when you revitalize your body through postures, breathing and relaxation. Your practice deepens as you learn to focus awareness, allowing you to enter meditative states. With Kripalu yoga, you discover how to nurture health, personal growth and happiness. This perhaps will transform your sense of what it means to be alive.

Kripalu yoga is practised on and off the mat. With repeated practice, poses on the mat allow us to sense changes in our physical body and increase our understanding of sensations that are generated by each pose, including a noticeable increase in flexibility, strength and overall well-being.

In addition to the physical changes that occur, you may also experience changes both emotionally and spiritually. The practice of being present begins to flow with each moment as we explore poses, breath and meditation. Our internal energy blocks are opened. This reduces resistance in our bodies and mind as we become ready for greater inquiry. As our practice grows, we can become more skilful in listening to inner wisdom that guides us in our daily lives.

The Kripalu approach awakes non-judgmental self-awareness, is a safe and disciplined practice for integration and combines western science with eastern philosophy to promote vitality.

A Kripalu yoga class includes the following:

• Welcoming and setting a context

• Opening and centring

• Breath to cleanse the body

• Warm-ups that synchronize breath with movement

• Posture sequences designed to strengthen, stretch and balance the body

Relaxation to allow integration• • Closing centring

Stages of Kripalu yoga include the following:

1. Will. Purpose: To increase awareness of bodily sensations.

2. Will and surrender. Purpose: To increase awareness of thoughts, feelings and emotions.

3. Surrender. Purpose: To increase awareness of instinct and intuition.

“By learning the foundational yoga poses, developing your will, listening to your body’s wisdom, quieting the mind and awakening non-judgmental awareness, your yoga is revealed.” — Kripalu School of Yoga

The journey begins when you revitalize your body through postures, breathing and relaxation. Pam A. Lowe

Pam A. Lowe is a certified kriplau yoga teacher living in Kentville. She is also a CPT-CSEP. Her hobbies include triathlons, painting and, of course, yoga.