Weekly Journaling: Somatic Practice




You will be REQUIRED to practice AT LEAST once a week OUTSIDE OF CLASS. Free classes are available at Yoga Nine ONLINE (Zoom) but there are many other options. After practices in class and on your own, please complete a REFLECTIVE JOURNAL after each practice.

Here are some general questions you might consider when doing your WEEKLY journaling. Journals are submitted via your personal BLOG. You can make a blog on this format (blogger for free with a google/gmail account), or any other format. Please email me your blog address so that I can post it in this blog. If you would like your blog to be private (not available to the rest of class), please "close" access to your blog, but allow me in as a reader (you must give me access). Blog addresses are due to me via email by September 15. Blog posts are due every FRIDAY by midnight.

Each week on your syllabus, you will be given a prompt which is reflective of the class topical material, but please feel free to comment on anything which is relevant or interesting to you. Here is a non-exhaustive list of ideas:

Ritual and practice:

1. What ritual(s) is/are the teacher performing and what do you suppose are the intended effect(s) of these ritual(s)?

2. What is the tone/volume of the teacher? What effects does the tone/voice have on you?

3. What is the teacher TEACHING in the class? Is there a theme running throughout the class? How, if at all, did asana and/or pranayama relate to the theme?

4. Did the teacher set the intention for the class? Or, did they invite you to set your own? If the latter, what was your intention for class? Did you maintain the intention throughout?

Anatomy and Practice:

1. What anatomical calls were carried throughout postures in class?

2. Did the teacher make anatomical calls from the more proximal or distal parts of the body?

3. Did the teacher make anatomical calls from the base of the posture up? Or not?

4. What was the experience of the corrections you made in your body based on the teacher's anatomical calls and the way in which the teacher sequenced those calls?

Health benefits and Practice:

1. What health claims were made by the teacher as a part of class?

2. Were "healing stories" a part of the class or studio culture?

3. What "healing" properties/ physical benefits or effects were directives or claims as part of class, or as part of studio cultural beliefs?

4. Is Ayurveda practiced at your studio? If so, how are the principles presented in light of Western medicine?

Philosophy and Practice:

1.Is there a philosophical principle to the teaching at your studio? Describe it.

2. How are the philosophical principles of yoga presented as relating to practice?

3. Does the philosophy of your studio speak of the foundational yogic texts?

4. What is "yoga"? How is it understood as part of Western lifestyle?

Pop Culture and Practice:

1. What are the symbols/elements of popular culture found in your experience?

2. Is yoga commodified in consumer culture? How?

3. What makes yoga so popular?

4. Why do you practice /other practice yoga?

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