Namaste Series: Om is the same in all languages

The other day I realized it had been nearly 3 weeks since I had practiced yoga and it surprised me, why had I not experienced my usual craving for the practice. When living in New York, I often found I would experience a craving, almost like a human need, that I had to get to a class...why not here, not now? I took some time to think about this and realized that the driving force behind my feelings of need to practice yoga primarily came from the fact that going to a yoga class was like therapy for me; a mental break from the day, a time to focus on myself, relax, unwind, perhaps bring up any feelings that might be bothering or affecting me in that moment. Since I´ve started my journey abroad, I think that this whole experience is similar in many ways to the mental side of my yoga practice. Selfishly, I am devoting a lot of time to myself right now, I´ve been able to relax, unwind, open my mind to new experiences and relationships and I have the luxury of time each day to reflect on all of it. Whatever is going on with my head though, my body definitely missed it, so I decided I would need to find some alternative intentions for my practice and seek out a studio before I left Santiago. Luckily for me, there happens to be a yoga school within walking distance from my house which is great since it offers many classes per day and is super cheap!

Academia Chilena de Yoga

The school follows a Hatha yoga style of practice, and although I prefer more of a vinyasa style, it was great to get in a studio and stretch it out...not to mention doing the whole thing in Spanish of course!  I definitely took for granted how much I rely on the guidance from the instructor. Although I could understand body parts and simple directions in Spanish, and I had experience in all the poses before, I really missed hearing the thoughts and wise words that I´m sure the teacher was sharing. It wasn´t the most difficult class physically, but it certainly was probably one of the most mentally challenging classes I´ve had in a while as I was completely alone with my thoughts and had to rely soley on myself to stay present. One thing I did love was that the class ended in, what felt like, a 20 minute shavasana which we did in a restorative pose with lots of props. It was super comfortable and relaxing and I definitely left the studio feeling clearer and more refreshed. Namaste.