In the late 1990’s, not knowing the slightest thing about yoga, I
gamely joined a friend for a $5 yoga class at a local church. The
lasting memory from that first class was one of being stunned by how
little my body could do. The fact that I was an avid rock climber at
the time confused me no end. I could scamper up steeply overhung rock
faces with a respectable amount of grace, but triangle pose left me
wondering when living in a body had become so difficult. In hindsight
it’s obvious that my body and brain had been at war for quite some
time. By day, I used my vessel relentlessly, giving its needs only
passing thought during endless hours of writing software, and only
then, when the pain in my shoulders demanded I get out of my chair.
Despite that rough start, or more likely, because of it, I was hooked.
Soon, yoga’s gifts of cultivating balance, exposing paradox, and
revealing quiescence were spilling over into life off the mat. So
enamored was I with learning about all things yogic, that I signed up
for a yoga teacher training. Though I never thought I’d become a yoga
teacher, I wanted nothing more than to fill in the gaps in my yogic
landscape with more sanskrit, more philosophy, more poses, and more
fun adjustments. My yoga teacher training offered all those things and
more.
Throughout my arc as a yogi, I have explored many styles, from the
gentle flow of kripalu yoga, to the physically active flow of ashtanga
and vinyasa; from the heart centered anusara, to the intensely
engaging kundalini, but the real insights for me have come in
stillness. No matter what the style of practice, the pristine clarity
and peaceful quiescence of savasana is the jewel at the heart of any
yoga practice. This affinity for the vastness outside of time and
space is, no doubt, what has fueled my interest in the practice of
yoga nidra, or the sleep of awakening.
What sounded to me like a supreme waste of time in the go-mode of my
younger days has revealed itself to be a playground of creativity,
sensation, and awareness. Yoga nidra’s apparent power to alleviate
physical suffering, unwind outmoded thought processes, dissolve no
longer useful emotional associations, and just plain relax the body
have inspired me to learn more about just what it is that goes on when
we cultivate sustained attention during meditative practices. This
curiosity that has landed me in the Individualized Master of Arts
program at Goddard College where I am supported in my study of
whatever I feel will enrich my understanding of what happens when we,
as embodied beings, engage in contemplative practices. So far, this
has included neuroanatomy, biology, psychology, cognitive science,
philosophy, and, of course, contemplative practices, both moving and
still. It is with great joy that I continue to learn and to share the
practice of yoga in all its many forms whether engaging, restorative,
gentle, empowering, or just plain still…
sue borchardt
