Portland Yoga Studio Kickoff Event!

www.portlandyoga.com

“Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence and benevolence of spirit. Perfection in asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached. From then on, the practitioner is undisturbed by dualities.” -Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

 

David Yearwood read from Iyenger's Light on the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali in front of a beautiful room of yoga practitioners, new and old, as he began the free class offered at Portland Yoga Studio (PYS) Saturday afternoon in honor of its changing ownership from Stephanie Abrams to David Yearwood and Parks Mckinney.

Embracing new and old, old and new was the theme of the afternoon; as we entered different asanas (postures), we were invited to observe the duality of new and old. Were these asanas new or old to us? Was our experience in them old or new? Was the asana old, but the feeling new?  As teacher Chelsea Lachapelle pointed out towards the end of class while we were lying down with our legs up, we were in an old shape with a new perspective. We had previously been in downward dog with our legs together (same shape as lying down), but we were upside down then, and now we were looking up.

In that moment, I realized I am in an old space with a new perspective. In 2005, I participated in a Dance of Universal Peace with Elaine McGillicuddy (one of the original founders of Portland Yoga Studio and who was here today) at the PYS space. Then in 2007, when I was visiting Maine, I took a morning class at PYS, and I remember crying to myself in shoulderstand, having not done much yoga before, not knowing how to listen to my body, and it just seemed too hard...my mind was bouncing around in many directions.

Now, I am here once again back in this "old space" with a very new mind-body.  I have practiced yoga for probably 4 years now, have taught for 3 years, and have practiced ashtanga and vinyasa yoga; in addition, I have let go of many habits that were not serving me over the years and have learned to witness automatic reactions and make better choices. I feel new in this old space, and this old space is now being renewed in itself.

I am finding my way back to this space, which I have landed in before, and I am really excited about learning more about the Iyenger practice and practicing- a new practice for me, but in some ways it feels "old" because it just feels right to be here and makes sense.  As I practiced today, I found a sense of strength, balance, focus, ease, surrender, peace, freedom, and joy. During Shavasana (corpse pose) I was able to go inside and feel release and relief from the dualities of life. For just a passing moment, I became undisturbed, unshaken, unchanged by the dualities of joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain.

 

When you are fully in the body, you meet the soul! -BKS Iyengar

 

Amazing instructors, beautiful space, new schedule with asana and pranayama (breath control) classes, teen classes, yoga sutra study, and more.  Learn more! 

See you on and off the mat, 
Jeanette