Connecting Through Yoga
The Student
By Amy Miller

Published in 'The Middlesex (VT) Newspaper' May edition.

Yoga has always interested me and for many years intimidated me. Over the past 15 years, I had probably attended that many yoga classes, and purchased that many home videos/DVDs. I was having trouble finding the time in my schedule for the classes and was finding the videos overwhelming. Overwhelming, because I had a sense that I was not in the correct posture, and it bothered me to be reinforcing something that was likely to be incorrect. Still, all of this time I was drawn to what yoga represented to me: physical fitness, flexibility, balance of mind and body, good self care.

During this past winter, I noticed that my ability to tolerate stress was diminishing. For me this looked like excessive emotion - feeling overwhelmed and unsettled. I was meditating and exercising, and I was still not able to find my balance. My life situation was on its way to becoming more stressful rather than less and I made a decision to give Martin a call. I had experienced Kripalu yoga with Martin in the past and found the sessions to be a good match for me.

Since December (2007), yoga has been a regular part of my week, something that I look forward to and benefit from in many ways. There are the postures and stretches that add to my endurance and agility. There is the meditation and the breathing that connect me to the process in the universe. Through the yoga my body is worked, my mind is cleared, my emotion is released and my spirit soars.

For several years now, in my own mind-body work (myofascial release), I have regularly monitored where my body is at with regards to tightness, aches and pains. Once noting, I ask myself what the emotional issue is buried in this tightness, with the answer, a release of emotion takes place and the body responds. Doing the yoga became the next natural step for me. When I am aware of tightness in a muscle, or chest pounding, I give it the time and space it needs, and I am able to focus on breathing, relaxing, and releasing the tightness.

When I first started mind-body work, I was not connected to my body as I am now. It takes time and practice. There are likely hundreds of books on ancient healing, like the Chakra system, that have documented over thousands of years where a tightness or injury in a certain area of your body originates. The idea is to get to know your body, so that when the tightness occurs you will be able to identify the emotional issue/ stressor in your life and deal with it before further injury occurs. Those working in energy healing would say start in the energy field, before the injury reaches your body.

There are many ways to get to know yourself through the mind-body connection for better emotional, physical, soulful and spiritual health. The practice and philosophy of yoga is a great place to start.

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Amy Miller has a private therapy practice in Central Vermont and is a resident of Middlesex Vermont. Amy's practice includes psychopharmacology and mind-body healing. She is host of CVTV's 'Connect with Amy Miller: mind, body, soul, spirit'.