Weekly Journal (2)

Camille Velez

Weekly Journal: 2

GIS Yoga East Meets West

24 September 2020

    In my opinion, there are several factors that can make my practice space a "sacred space." I have yet to attend an actual yoga class in person, however, I try to make my space as sacred as possible at home. While practicing yoga, I look for a quiet space, with either natural lighting or not too harsh artificial light. I also would like some music playing in the background that would not be too loud. In addition, I also feel that having a candle lit or burning incense helps as well as having my windows open for fresh air. All of these factors come together and allows me to become in tune with myself and my body, and allows me to focus solely on my yoga practice. 

    Since starting this class, it was very convenient that my roommate enjoys yoga too. In fact, we are attempting to practice yoga at least 2-3 times a week. We decided to watch a different yoga instructor, yoga with Adriene for this week. My roommate and I had a lot of work to do this week, so the yoga practice we chose to do was yoga to heal stress. We completed this practice in our living room, since there was a lot of open space for the both of us. We tried making our space as sacred as we could, so we tried doing all the factors I previously stated. Our other roommates were not home, so our environment was very quiet and serene, which definitely helped. The yoga instructor had a very calming voice, completed the stretches with you in the video, and took her time with each practice. She encourages you to focus on your breathing, to help reduce the stress levels. 

    I enjoyed this practice because it has been the most calming practice I have had so far. My roommate and I have been trying different practices from other instructors online, but we have genuinely enjoyed Adriene's the most thus far. I feel that when I am watching her videos, it's almost as if I am completing the practice with her. In addition, for other practices, they usually encourage you to put your stressful and uneasy thoughts aside, but in this video, she encourages you to acknowledge them and continue breathing to help bring your cortisol levels down. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD_l3fDTFyg

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