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[Carrie B!]

Leave it to Aura... awesome girls. You are rocking your way through ASANAS! Now would you mind telling me some of your thoughts? Some of your challenges? Have you been practicing Meditation and Pranayama? I make my in-person students keep journals. So how about giving me some journal info on your JOURNEY into YOGA! a personal view.

[aura]

hmmm, well, let's see: the main thing i have learned is listening to my body and proper alignment. not only from what i've studied, but naturally. alignment is natural. you can feel it (or the lack of it). it seems to be the best way for me. then again, learning on my own means i HAVE to listen to my body. lol. i've learned that the more i practice, the more i love it! every once in a while, i totally amaze my own self with how much i've grown in strength, peace and my own sense of self. yoga has a wonderful way of bringing confidence. you find a beauty and strength inside yourself. you realize that you are capable of wonderful things and that it's ok to be exactly YOU. there's beauty in YOU. there's strength in YOU.

my main challenges have been the upper body/arm strength, which i worked hard to improve. i also learned that no matter how conditioned i feel, i'm still able to overdo it or hurt myself if i get too froggy. in other words, we shouldn't rush anything. it all comes in the right time with the right focus and practice.

i do practice pranayama and meditation, still. i love it. i found that breath is very important in asanas, as well as simple relaxation or dealing with pain, even. as for poses, breathing in before a pose and exhaling as i move into the pose actually helps with the depth of the pose itself. if your breathing is strained or uncontrolled, then the pose seems harder or you want to quit it too early. also, breathing helps my focus. as for meditation: nothing feels better after an hour or two of yoga then to sit in silence, listening to the breath, feeling the wonderful exhilaration generating through your soul from the practice. even though you have a built up energy, you also have a sense of peace and stillness. it's just a very good feeling. i usually will sit no less than 20 minutes, but have sat for as long as an hour. i also meditate other times, other than just after my yoga practice. there are some amazing things that meditation can bring;)