2/13/25 Live Session Recording (Module 2)

I've realized there’s so much more to learn when it comes to the human body and poses. Jen, I love how when you sequence, you offer more than one way to approach a pose. This is something I hope to get better at: offering alternatives that are both safe and efficient.

In terms of my practice, I appreciated the extra support from the chair. I haven’t used props since 2022, and I’m happy to be reintroduced to them. Sometimes, props help me with balance and allow me to get a deeper stretch.

Hey y’all, Hi Jen! Thank you all for an another great opportunity to explore. I’ll be honest and admit I did not make it through the whole movement session. Once after the hip exploration I was too relaxed to move on and I was gonna float in the space lol. Recently, I learned that my hips is where I hold a lot of my anxiety and poses like pigeon and knee circles etc really take me back to a blank canvas. I absolutely love the “undisciplined” movements. I natural have been drawn to wild side of things and breaking out. A little bit of a breath centering party in between . There were times in the beginning I could feel resistance between my body and my mind when it came to the bouncing and shaking. It was different and weird for my body. I was able to see where letting loose felt like letting my guard down. In my mind I was open to being in an unfamiliar space but, my body was still reluctant and playing defense. I was able work through it with thinking of music. After that it did bring more awareness to how I withdraw myself from and even use that as a form of punishment to others. Only because I felt that if being happy or showing them a positive attitude was in a sense rewarding them or letting them off the hook. I understand what Alex  So I can’t wait to get back to the philosophy a bit more how it all fits in in cohabitation with others in a non harm mindset without using anything as an escape because my body shouldn’t have to do it alone, especially watching how hard it works for me just to stand upright. 

After seeing the “ alotta brain in the hands” it made be think about activities that we do with the hands. Playing musical instruments and even sign language, There was a lot to self study in this live and I appreciate all who continue to contribute. SMILES!

Reflection: 

I was at work so I followed along like a fly on the wall the movement session and made a list of all the vocabulary used. "Taking a moment", "whatever your fullest version" "maybe you *example*" were my favorites and I will incorporate these in my future sequence to make it more inclusive. The part about the energy awareness check in I love, I have been doing that everyday when I wake up and it helps me monitor my body and myself. The part about "you are not preforming- you are simply a guide" stuck with me and I love seeing it in this way. I am eager to do yoga after watching those pose variations and use my muscles!! 

Reflection:

Hi all - I'm catching up on two lectures because I was out of town and trying to enjoy myself with friends (which was accomplished!!) 

When watching this session, the movement practice felt really nice because I've been away from my own yoga practice this week and that brought me back in in a very gentle way, so I thank you for that! 

The discussion of the muscles activated in the different movements really struck me - I actually ended up ordering the key poses of yoga book on amazon while watching because I feel like I want to deeply explore these more! I was sort of at awe by how many muscles were involved in just mountain pose. 

The comment that Kari made about chair pose resonated with me because that posture has always confused me and I appreciated Jen's response that really points to the idea that there are so many variations that as long as the posture feels good and isn't harmful to the body, then that is perfectly ok. 

Thanks for this lecture - it energized me into looking into the postures further and look more into the anatomy so that I can really cue things in a way that connects the mind and body together 🙂

Hi all, 

Thank you Jen for the practice that you offered, I appreciated how gentle it was and how many options there were to engage. I think that there is a natural wanting to look around the room, compare, more is better and I so appreciated the slow down, the ability to find range in all of the poses and for the range of motion to be unique to each person. 

I also appreciated more of the anatomy discussion, seeing the poses and what muscles are doing what, I am trying not to buy too many books right now because I can overdo it but the book you used seems worthwhile to come back and reference! This week I did a yoga class where the instructor was discussing the hands and fingers representing different planets, and I appreciated learning and reflecting on how much hands represent, hold (literally and metaphorically) and it was more food for thought. 

I love this beginners moment that I am in, being a beginner is important to me and it's the mindset that I want to continue to cultivate to soak up things while also slowing down and inhabiting my body in this process. Thank you thank you! 

Hello everyone, 

I am catching up here and have just watched live session 🙂 

Jen so sorry you had to go through the pain of migraines, I am so happy you're feeling better <3 

I loved this sequence and how relaxing, slow and compassionate it is, the moments of pause are so grounding! I could feel myself entering a trance state as my muscles and mind let go and had the chance to slow down. It's so gentle and loving, and I believe it will help people experience that same love and gentle care. This pace is essential to ensure I'm listening to my body's needs and learning the poses in a safe integrated way 🙂 Also I agree that the way you explained it helped the moves not be intimidating and have a competitive undertone <3

Lol well, I wrote an entire reflection that was fairly detailed and for some reason it didn't send. So I am trying not to be upset. But there were so many things in this video that I deeply resonated with. Exploring our practice. Vs challenging. I love the concept of exploring my practice and offering other people the ability to explore theirs too. 

I love the concept of all the anatomy work. I bought the book. It makes me deeply grateful for my body and that has been a long time coming. 

I am really excited to dive into these mindfulness practices, now that I know what they are since I don't usually get to see the chat. I felt pretty intense embodies energy when my first reflection didn't save. LOL. Oh well, lesson learned. 

Also Jen, I am so happy you're feeling better! Migraines are the worst !

Jen's flow this week has stuck with me. I really soaked up the idea of Jen's intentions around the transitions, in and out of movement. I don't often practice outside of a traditional studio environment but I've noticed it does create somewhat of a "block" to the ability to slow down this deeply and truly guide your body through new energies and postures- no matter what it looks like. Jen's flow didn't feel like it was ever about a posture but rather the transitioning around the concept of a posture- this feels incredibly freeing for me.  

One of the biggest takeaways from this session was the reminder that “It’s not about a yoga show, you are not performing.” I love this perspective—it challenges the idea that yoga is about looking perfect or striving to match the instructor’s skill level. That’s definitely a mindset I’ve had in the past, and I appreciate the shift toward making yoga more about personal experience rather than appearance.

I also really resonated with the idea that “None of us should look the same in each posture.” It reinforces the importance of individual differences and honoring what feels right in our own bodies. I found it especially valuable when Jen shared practical adjustments, like avoiding cues to “straighten the spine” since it can cause lower back pain, and understanding how a seated forward fold affects the body differently than a standing forward fold. These small but important insights will help make my teaching more informed and accessible. Another concept I absolutely loved was the half-semi-circle or “11” shape when setting up a class in a facility. This arrangement helps ensure that no one feels like they are on display in a vulnerable position, which is especially important given that residents don’t have control over what they wear during practice. It’s such a thoughtful approach to creating a safe and comfortable space, and I will definitely keep this in mind moving forward.

This session deepened my understanding of yoga’s physical impact and how to make it more inclusive and trauma-informed. I’m excited to keep learning and applying these insights!

Hello PYP January Cohort!  It's April 3rd and I'm wrapping up this Feb 13th Module today.  At the same time I am a bit more ahead in Module 5.  I am really aware that I am "out of synch" with the actual Live Sessions and, as I read these modules, it is helping me to embrace no harm to myself, to embrace my Truth and to practice Astray as it relates to not allowing self-pressure to "steal" any of the PYP experience from my whole self.  I've been watching in 10-15 minutes pieces, which that alone...including ALL of your reflections and Jen's teaching...., give me so much to process.  I have such Gratitude for this program for the Self-Love it is injecting into my Life right now and I am reflecting and future-tripping on how future yoga participates (that I would be facilitating) might experience these same feelings of support, stability and growth.  The complexity of the shoulders and wrists are something....every time I do a pose now I think about ALL the various muscles, tendons, bones, blood vessels, etc. that in support of my practice.  it goes without saying that Jen staring out the 2/13 session with a nice long practice added much relief to my full days.  Namaste to you all!  Jeff