On July 22nd we will kick off our new series of seasonal yoga and acupuncture workshops we will be offering. (Next workshop is Sept 23rd)
Kim Homer will be our instructor for these yoga classes and we wanted to give you all the opportunity to get to know Kim and how she got into yoga and how she utilizes acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Kim’s story:
The minute I took my first yoga class, I was hooked. Not because I was bendy - it was actually the opposite. I had been obsessed with dance fitness (Zumba) for years and had just become certified to teach it. A few months after, I took my first yoga class. I was almost too antsy and jittery before class started to actually begin the class. I thought, “How am I going to sit still? How will I make it through this?” The instructor led a beautiful class and in the very last pose she guided us with a few words and I ended up bawling my eyes out. We don’t do that in dance fitness! I thanked her for the class and asked her what the heck had just happened. She said it was “a release.” I’d soon discover that yogis can seem cryptic once in a while but if you stick around long enough, it all starts to make sense. I was under the impression yoga was just for stretching and balance of the body. Little did I know the strength and balance of body, mind and spirit, that it would start to bestow on me. A strength that I’d never known - and I was pretty tough, but life had worn me down physically and mentally. Yoga has shown me so much about myself and others, brought so much kindness and love toward self and others as well. I don’t profess to be enlightened; I’m just a much better version of myself, a version we all have inside of us that is waiting to be unleashed. I’m not a monk: I still swear (a lot) and eat steak. I’m merely a yoga student and teacher who wants to show everyone the gifts they have inside of them, which is easily unlocked through the practice of yoga. It’s hard to believe this can all happen just by practicing some yoga or meditating - or both (even better) - but it does. Not even knowing anything about yoga when I started classes, it had an immediate and profound effect on me: I started sleeping better, handling stress better and had a more positive outlook on life...a MUCH more positive outlook on life!
I didn’t realize yoga could do all of that when I sat down on the mat that first time and I probably didn’t understand the full scope of capabilities - maybe I still don’t. But, yoga will not just stretch your body: it will calm your mind, open your heart (watch out for that one!), give you an inner and outer strength you never thought possible, and improve your overall sense of well-being. I urge you to find a consistent practice. There are classes for all bodies, all stages, all styles (chair yoga, water yoga, power yoga, acro, aerial, gentle, flow, yin).
My yoga path is not that long; my path to acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine is even shorter. And it was primarily because of yoga that I sought out acupuncture. Power poses and arm balances too early in my practice, along with a debilitating flu (this January), had me desperate for remedies. Not wanting to use pain meds or resort to Western medicine, I chose to start with alternative, natural medicine, and acupuncture was the first I turned to. Acupuncture is subtle, and it works on overall balance in the body, so we had some work to do! Jade Star (Chilan) was very patient and once he had information he needed, we started acupuncture and various TCM modalities to start moving the pain out of my body. This not only included needles, but diet change. (Jasmine Pearls green tea instead of Coffee!!!). Each visit is slightly different because not only internal but external factors affect us. That is where TCM can really help us forge ahead into oncoming seasons.
Yoga is a science created in India, and the practice of yoga, the poses (asanas) are only one very small portion of the many limbs on the yoga path. It is the most common practice in this country, followed by meditation and breathwork. Yin yoga (along with some Gentle) still places us in yoga poses based on the “originals,” however, it takes into consideration the energy meridians of the body, which is central to TCM. Certain yoga poses target the various meridians in the body. And according to TCM, certain seasons and elements focus on particular meridians. Therefore, we can tailor a yoga practice to accommodate what our bodies need a little bit more of, with each passing season.
If you are interested in attending our yoga and acupuncture workshop please click here to register.
Commentaires