Why
you will not get injured in my class . . . the wisdom of
Scaravelli Inspired Yoga (SIYoga)
I teach and
practice movement using the principles of Scaravelli-Inspired Yoga. One of the
key concepts of this approach – which is more a process of learning - is the
un-doing of tension in
all yoga postures.
Other key concepts include: feeling and
surrendering to the force of gravity, finding support through your bones by
sensing your inner landscape, allowing the breath to lead you into the pose,
encouraging more space in and around the joints and liberating the spine so
that it can move freely in any direction.
In a SIYoga
classes, the asana (postures/poses) are done with the wisdom of your body in
mind at all times. There is no reason to push the body past its limits since
this is not the aim of this approach. As we practice in this way, continually
noticing our inner workings, we may find a few places where our joints have
lost their way. Some might be poorly seated in their sockets. Others may not be
articulating in an optimal way or have full range of motion. Some might be achy or
have a bit of pain that was present before we started to practice yoga.
Along your
movement journey you may experience what I fondly call “Joint Evolutions”. It is important to recognize that pain does
not necessarily indicate an injury. Pain is a signal – a messenger – and it is
our job to find out what it’s trying to tell us. Signs that a joint is
experiencing an evolution may be mild to not so mild discomfort as the joint
re-learns how to be in a more natural, spacious and open alignment. These
temporarily uncomfortable sensations will fade as we continue to inform our
joints with consistent yoga and movement practice. Assuming there is no
structural limitation in the way of this evolution (requiring medical
evaluation), the joints begin to experience more comfort as we practice and go
about our daily lives. It is a good idea during this transition period to get
the care you need and tend to any discomfort by getting chiropractic
adjustments or massage therapy or whatever therapies work for you.
My own
movement journey has included several joint evolutions. My wrists, hips, spine,
knees and feet all had their turn getting healthier and becoming better seated
in their housing. During these times of change I was patient with myself. Any
fears I had were soothed by the knowledge that I had done nothing to cause any
injury to my joints. I felt the underlying benefits of my practice in my body –
even with the various aches and pains – and that encouraged me to keep going.
It has been worth it for me to stick with it, as I was attempting to create a
consistent, lifelong movement practice. After receiving care from my go-to
therapists, in most cases I saw the pain fade in only a week or two. Some
joints had a multi-phase evolution as they eventually reached their optimal
positions.
If you have
any concerns about pain anywhere in your body, please don’t hesitate to seek
evaluation from a health care professional. Yoga can be challenging for the
body. It could be something – it could be nothing – but do get answers to your
questions.
“Elongation and
extension can only occur when all the
pulling and the pushing stop.” - Vanda Scaravelli
“Strength that has
effort in it is not what you need – you need
strength that is the result of
ease.” - Ida Rolf