A Note by Samantha Knies Gray
I started my yoga practice at the age of 18 with a simple intention: to gain strength and flexibility for horseback riding. That was it. Nothing more. I didn’t enjoy working out, I wasn’t athletic, and no exercise practices had ever stuck.
Picture by Tim Gray Photography
It wasn’t until I was in my 20s that I discovered the other aspects of yoga and how much better my life could be by applying the breath, meditation, and philosophy to my physical practice. The way my practice looks has changed numerous times in the 20 years since, but it’s stuck and I’ve never ever regretted committing myself to it.
From vinyasa to hot to strict hatha to yin to barre and everything in between, my practice has ebbed and flowed with my life circumstances. What has not changed is how I feel every time I finish a practice — any practice: physically stronger, more mobile, and clearer in mind.
During my teacher training, I set an intention for any future teaching opportunities that may come my way. I have survived periods of deep depression, daily anxiety, lack of community, disconnect from my body, and generally feeling as if I’m not enough for anyone. My intention behind my teaching has been to create a safe space for students to just be — without judgement from themselves, others, towards others — to be in stillness, to create space and strength in their bodies, to quiet their minds, and to foster a sense of community. I know what it’s like to be in the dark depths of life, and I want others to have a serene space to simply be just as they are and to leave that space with the tools to break free from those depths.
With this in mind, my classes each month are pre-planned with great intention. A theme set, poses/meditations/breathwork/mudras/mantras selected to support that theme — all the way down to which essential oils I’ll use during savasana and how/when I’ll play instruments.
This month, we’ll be focusing on balancing Kapha energy. We often find ourselves feeling sluggish, lethargic, dull, and unmotivated this time of year as the weather gets wetter and the air heavier. We have a tendency to be more prone to allergies and illness (hello, whatever is going around DuCo right now!), so keeping our bodies and minds stimulated and blood and lymph moving is extra important.
If your intention is better health as we prep up for an active spring and summer, join me on your mat this month to relieve congestion and stagnancy in the body and mind. As our beloved Julia has been known to say: the hardest part about yoga is getting to yoga … but you never regret going.