Overwhelm or Gift?
By Theresa Shay
I may have complicated a lot of people’s yoga practice over the past few weeks. I’ve been widely sharing the subtle practices of Prana Vidya (breathing, concentration and meditation) since January 1st. While these are powerful practices that I cherish, introducing them can disrupt the rhythm of one’s daily practice. At least, that’s what happened to me.
One year when I went to visit my teacher Yogini Kaliji in California, I had arranged to stay at the newly created TriYoga guest house. The woman who greeted me led me through a gate into a sweet little garden that was obviously well loved. Before starting up the steps to the second floor she turned. “This is where a lot of people do their morning Prana Vidya practice. You’re welcome to use it in the morning if you like.”
I began calculating. I had only recently become steady with my physical yoga practice. I felt so good that I was finally rolling out my mat and breathing into my body on a regular basis. I had been trying to establish that pattern for years. The idea of having a daily seated practice of breathing, concentration and meditation had never crossed my mind up to this moment. I only did those practices when I visited Kaliji.
I wondered, would a Prana Vidya practice be in addition to one’s physical practice? Instead of? Could I get up early enough to do both? Did I even remember enough of the Prana Vidya sequences to lead myself through a session? I spent the next many years sorting this out.
While the initial response to learning a new practice might be to add it on to what you already have, an easier gift to receive is realizing that with more knowledge, your options have expanded. Of course, maybe your life allows for a longer daily practice complete with yogaflow and Prana Vidya to enjoy all five parts of a TriYoga class. But few people I teach are available for - or maybe interested in - long yoga practices each day.
When my life as a yoga teacher unfolded, my body got a lot of movement while I was “at work”. So instead of physical practices like Leg Stretch, I discovered my stretch was to become comfortable in the still, quiet, seated practices of TriYoga. The spaciousness of the subtle realm was, in the beginning, very hard for me to enjoy. Now, I can’t do without these practices.
Some days I need the physical practice to work out a kink, and I head to the sequence that will address the block I feel in my body. One participant of the 40 Days wrote that she’s doing Prana Vidya in the morning and flowing at night. Maybe it works for someone to alternate physical and subtle practices each day. There are many ways to flow!
Physical practices in TriYoga, known as yogaflow, release tension from the body. Subtle practices in TriYoga, known as Prana Vidya, cultivate energy. With more energy available and fewer blocks restricting that energy, the inner flow naturally rises. Both practices serve, and each one enhances the other. Having more options to choose from means you can serve your body and mind precisely what they need to thrive that day. Pay attention. Choose consciously. Practice regularly. And trust the Flow within.
Theresa Shay is the founding director of TriYoga of Central Pennsylvania, where she teaches weekly yoga and meditation online and trains others to teach TriYoga®. Each week, she shares wisdom cultivated from decades of TriYoga study and practice.
Learn more about her here. Theresa can be reached at Theresa@PennsylvaniaYoga.com. Find her on Instagram @theresa_of_triyoga for more inspiration and light.