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| Namaste ... I salute the divine spirit within you |
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| Namaste ... I salute the divine spirit within you |
Namaste
Namaste-Sanskrit for: “I salute the divine spirit/light within you”. Great phrase for Joan of Arc, don’t you think? Namaste is a traditional Sanskrit salutation. The word is frequently used in Yoga sessions; including Yoga taught at St. Joan of Arc by Tori Showalter.
I attended two Tuesday evening sessions prior to the writing of this review and I loved it so much that I will become a regular attendee (as the work schedule allows!) At the first session I did not have a Yoga mat. I brought my regular exercise mat. Tori offered me an extra Yoga mat that she had because she was concerned that I could slip using the regular mat. I’m glad I brought a water bottle. I got thirstier then I thought I would and the tap water at St. Joan’s does not taste very good!!! If you sweat a lot, or think you might, a towel may be a good idea too!
I am about as limber as a pencil but I was willing to give Yoga a try because I am in desperate need of something to help the muscles in my neck and shoulders relax without having to go back to regular massage therapy or chiropractic sessions (neither of which I can afford right now). Immediately, after the class I felt refreshed. When I went to bed that night I could feel a dramatic reduction in the level of tension in my shoulders. I enjoyed a good, deep sleep.
I also feel that the muscles in my abdomen got a good workout albeit without me being aware of it in the class. I could feel my ab muscles later when I went to bed. The class appears deceptively simple-like it’s not a “workout”. It’s not a workout in the traditional sense of jumping around, sweating, and straining the muscles; but it is a workout because the muscles are being worked even if you aren’t consciously aware of it at the time. The subtlety enhances my enjoyment of the class because if I feel like I’m actively going to “workout”, I tend to avoid the class with the usual lame excuses (I’m tired, it’s hot, it’s too hard). If I feel like I’m going to relax and center, which is what I like best about massage therapy, then I, personally, am more likely to attend regularly.
Tori is really good at walking around and affirming the class as well as giving individual pointers on the best way to execute the position. Tori makes a point of tailoring the class to support individual members who may have just had surgery or who have an injury. She will give alternate poses for those who may have a bad back or who are beginners(like me!).
 | Tori Showalter(left) fell in love with yoga after leaving her corporate career to stay home to raise her two little girls. With two toddlers underfoot, sanity was found a few miles from home at a local yoga class. After practicing regularly for four years, Tori became certified to teach yoga and has been teaching classes for over a year. Tori teaches classes at area churches, corporations, and a health club facility. Her classes range from gentle and easy seniors classes to Power yoga for the athletically inclined, and many variations in between. |
The most challenging asana for me is the Downward Facing Dog (right, Adho Mukha Svanasana). It’s a position where you try to keep your feet and hands flat on the floor while your butt is sticking way up and your head is down. Arms are distended. In this position I feel every pound that I need to lose and fighting to keep my shoulders and neck from bunching up while I hold the position without holding my breath. Need to keep that breath control going!
My favorite asana is the Corpse (a website I looked at also called it the Sponge or Savasana but I think Corpse does a better job of describing me in the position!). This is my favorite asana because the goal is to lie on your back with your arms at your sides and consciously relax every part of your body while you take several slow deep breaths. At the end of a long day, the Corpse is a great relaxation tool. But, the Corpse is a deceptively easy asana for me because if conscious relaxation were easy for me to do all of the time I would not need a massage therapist!
The two sessions I attended were not the same. Tori said every class is different. Don’t go to the sessions thinking I know what we will do for the first 10 minutes because it’s always this and the last ½ hour is always that. The first night, Tori turned the lights off in the church at the beginning and the end of the session while we worked on our breath and some light stretching, the second night she left the lights on and it felt like we moved more quickly into the deeper stretches.
Yoga has been offered at St. Joan’s since June 2001. Tori has been teaching Hatha (pronounced HAT-ha) Yoga at St. Joan’s on Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30 for about a year.
Tori told me that Hatha Yoga is the form of Yoga that works through the mastery of the body and the breath. Hatha is the form of Yoga that is best known in the West. Using breath control (pranayama) and the physical postures (asanas), as well as meditation, Hatha Yoga exercises, tones and strengthens the whole person-body, mind and spirit. Other forms of Yoga include: Raja, Jnana, Bhakti, and Karma.
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Sanskrit words used in Yoga Further reading and information on Yoga:
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In addition to teaching at St. Joan’s, Tori teaches Yoga at the church she attends with her family, Unity Christ Church in Golden Valley. The Yoga industry is working toward professional accreditation standards, but the level of training can vary dramatically by instructor. Tori is certified through her instructor, Monique Maxwell of Mi-an Yoga. Tori’s “formal” teacher training consisted of 6 weeks of instruction, paper writing and study of several Yoga texts (including Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras) followed by Yoga class observation for 3 months and class teaching assistance for another 3 months. This was followed by a written test. In addition to all of that, she had to attend 3-4 classes/week. Prior to the formal training she practiced with her instructor for 4 years. Today, she continues to study with her instructor every week and she attends Yoga continuing education classes and seminars.
In addition to the ongoing Tuesday class, Tori and her colleague, Cindy Pratt, are offering an eight week Saturday session from 8:30-10:00 a.m.. The Saturday session has already started, but you may still attend on a drop-in basis for $10. The cost for each Tuesday evening class is also $10. The average size Yoga class at St. Joan’s is 10-12 people.
Most classes meet in the Church unless the Church is being used for an event. If the Church is not available, the class may meet in the Gym or the Egan Room. (Signs are posted at church entrances if there is a location change.)
Tori said the benefits of Yoga include:
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| For further information about Hatha Yoga at St. Joan’s contact Tori Showalter at tshowalter@attbi.com or (763) 522-9735. |
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