2/20/25 Live Session Recording (Module 3)

Hello Jen and everyone,

To answer the reflections first about the Energetic Awareness sequencing process, I shared before that it really felt unnatural,”weird” and too vulnerable to participate in the stomping and shaking or “WIGGIN OUT” LOL. I am getting into the groove of it more so now after revisiting the sequencing map and accepting there is a process and rhythm to it. It does help to give it more fun and playful cues, like this looks like the stanky leg. Allowing the moves and mindfulness, noticing the heat building up and less focus on what you,, as an instructor was suggesting but, feeling what my own creation flow might feel like buy in a similar and different way. I love the idea of throwing punches. Bruce Lee has been someone I have admired. Especially the way he incorporated dancing and ballroom dancing into his JKD practice. The tense and release is awesome too because doing it on purpose and releasing it can create that muscle memory of releasing and I so appreciate that. I hold a lot of jaw tension and being able to bring that awareness back and check in and noticing that there is a better feeling range of motion for my jaw and face. Is. It possible to get an outline of the disclaimer you provide, the things that might happen? Any possible ways to assist our participants without calling them out and bringing attention to them? Is this in the disclaimer before we being? If possible being able to explore more opening/arrival opportunities for more of the participants who are outgoing and or new experiences or shyness cause them to feel frozen or subconscious. I can relate to sometimes that a particular content/space was new and the voices and thoughts in my head or just the moment was a blur and overwhelming leaning me feeling like I missed out and something was wrong with me. I could relate to when Jen said “ more scary getting into the parts that hurt” Sometimes I still feel that way but, yoga and even cautioned myself about doing this training that things may be reveled and was I ready for those truths? Resist singling anyone out, this was such a beautiful reminder of assumptions and to not make judgments of others. As the topic of Ahimsa was being discussed about our relationships and do use my phone to fill the empty spaces, those micro times right before the alarm goes off and waiting for your food to finish cooking and I zone out and do this out of habit. Now that I am more aware of this I am going to try and substitute yoga pose and stretching during this time. Those micro times add up and I do feel that contributes to my suffering in a sense where I substitute self guidance. I am still thinking about how to minimize harm in my community as I am still very new to Salt Lake City and work and study, study and work lol but, I do spend time driving during the week so maybe I can incorporate more ways to appreciate my surroundings? The business feeding families, cars taking people to their loved ones, the pigeons grooming their mate. I am definetly open for more suggestions or hearing how others are helping. 

All the breakout groups were Awesome! I am so thankful to be here. For myself, barriers or opportunities….Literally this YTT. Allowing this calling to be with incarcerated individuals but, not having a single clue how. Barriers of homelessness, grief, abandonment, financial (lack of), the area that I was in had very little rehabilitation options. I didn’t give up, I found PYP on instagram last Summer and knew that was my foot in door. I manifested moving back to the west coast. So self, environment, resources, law (chance to see the judicial system help others), generational, love, experience, it’s all here and I just have to be me.

Thank you Alex for sharing your unexpected shifts in life and the art of allowing the discomforts and releasing the resistance.

My thoughts are with Adrienne and her family, their Peanut was like my Mamasita (pit bull). When she passed away I had never lost anything in my life that meant to me as much as she did. Our pets are our closest friends and you share so many unseen private moments and connections. The love you shared always is there to look back on and that’s so amazing but, bittersweet. My deepest sympathies.

Hi Jen and my lovely peers,

I've just finished watching the recording and I want to say thank you for the privilege of sharing your experiences on the night. It's quite different to watch a recording as an observer and be able to pause it and contemplate my own responses and ways of relating to each one of you. I am aware that Yoga is literally whatever comes up and a group is a really dynamic process. I'm fascinated Jen at how you go with the flow and spontaneously shift the direction of the group in response to the sharing of heartfelt information. It felt as though your encouraging everyone to be 'the most important person' is a loving and nurturing holding of everyone. I am really taken with the culture, diversity, and difference in the group! Seriously - you guys are my tribe and I love your vibe. I have notes here, but I wanted to write spontaneously and just see what comes up... everything! Currently, as an aside, I have been watching the recordings of Hari-Kirtana Das on Yoga Philosophy for the last 3 Sundays. The extra classes, reading, and practice are transforming me minute by minute. I have very quiet days, easy meditations, and sometimes my practice is a stretch or a mantra around gratitude. I love this course and this group, and as I type, just feel gratitude. It just comes. Hey I could write forever but I'll stop - I look forward to seeing everyone either tonight for the guest lecture or in class on Thursday.

Oops, can I just say one thing about death and bereavement? I work with those every day as a counsellor and there's a fascinating theory that when a person or a cherished companion dies, they actually live more brightly and loudly than when they were alive, physically. That's because in death whenever we talk about them, it's the happy, loving, funny moments we remember and we make them real again when we talk about them. No-one really dies, because the brain doesn't know the difference between 'real' and 'pretend'. In death we are more loved than ever before, and whenever we think or feel about someone or something, it's a glorious resurrection through love and happiness. Bereavement is a process, and grief can open doors to joy. ps. I found that in my last two jobs as well, it's very spiritual and very Yoga! 🙂  In the words of a great friend, Neema Rainbow, 'Much gratitude'.

Hi all, so sad to miss this last week and I am going to be missing this coming week, I am finishing up my groups and I think in a few weeks I will have the ability to join live, so looking forward to that! I am really excited to see and start understanding the sequencing, and it makes sense as we are practicing this together to have moments of inward sensing and then coming back to self/orienting/noticing and then having moments of "work/strength building" and then coming back to self. When I was taking the class with James/Annabelle/Ana we talked about the idea of heart rate variability and having moments of stress and then backing off and I have found that in my own experiences having a moment to breathe and sense and come back to myself as I am weightlifting/running/practicing yoga is really an important element that helps me feel more embodied and empowered. For the energetic awareness practice, I have been attempting to check in with myself, do quick body scans to see where I am at and if there is anything that I might want to shift. This weekend I went on a hike with my husband and asked him if we could set an intention for the walk of slowing down and spending time with each other in a present and non-hurried way, I think it slowed us both down and instead of worrying about what we were going to eat afterwards or do the rest of the day after the hike which takes us out of the present moment. 

I appreciated the discussion about Ahisma, I have been thinking a lot about my family intergenerational trauma, what has been passed down, patterns and dynamics that continue to exist. I also appreciated the example of food and harm/non-harm and how food scarcity can impact how we view food and also what do lower SES folks have access to and what do they not have access to. This past month I was really looking at my eating patterns and how I tend to overeat because I come from a background were there was a scarcity mindset, it was a really emotional experience of trying to shift my patterns so that I could take what I need but not over-do it as I have tended to do because of my background. I continue to be challenged all the time about harm/non harm with my words, I am trying to continue to watch my words, how I talk about others, and if I am adding to separation/disconnection or if there is time to be silent or create connection with words. 

Hi Jen and all! 

It's tough to miss 2 weeks in a row, I feel like I'm missing my community here! 

To comment on the sequencing and energetic awareness -- Wow. There was so much to learn here. I felt like I was learning a whole new way of thinking about the yoga sequence. The idea of stomping to release energy is something that I sometimes feel 'silly' doing, because it reminds me of being a kid, but this conversation reminded me how feeling like a 'kid' may actually be really healing, because to me that is like a release from the worry about being judged or 'looking silly' which is related to the later part of the conversation with ahimsa. So why not stomp on the ground? I really appreciated this. What was also powerful for me was that the focus of the sequencing is purposefully not about the physical postures - I think taking the focus off of that is so important and gives so much power back to the centering and energy sections.

Ok now onto ahimsa. Oh man oh man - this conversation was so inspiring and healing. I was tearing up the whole time as I was thinking about how this applies to myself and ways that I can look inward and find ahimsa. I felt like I was typing on my notes so much because everything mentioned felt like something that could help me or someone else in the future when I need reminders to bring it back to my internal self. I think Stanley mentioned something about his conversation with Drew that was a good reminder for me - which was that 'harm' doesn't have to be something 'big' or blatantly harmful, but rather it's a lack of human connection or a situation in which someone (including yourself), could've chose love and kindness, but didn't in one way or another. Not necessarily that someone chose violence, but that the lack of kindness and compassion is the actual harm. Wow - some powerful stuff! 

Hello everyone,

Jen, I really enjoyed the way you broke down the process of understanding our energy and how deeply we are influenced by everything around us. It highlighted the importance of being conscious of how we're feeling so we can choose the best way to respond to our surroundings.

I also found it fascinating to learn how we can resource ourselves and use that awareness to the best of our ability.

One of the most interesting takeaways for me was realizing that certain poses and sequences that may be appropriate outside of prison are not necessarily suitable for those in prison who are experiencing triggers. This isn’t something I had spent much time considering in my practice, so I’m incredibly grateful to learn about it and better understand how to be of service.

The insight Jen shared about using a wall for support not being appropriate in a prison setting due to potential triggers of being up against a wall was especially eye opening. That perspective hadn’t crossed my mind before, and I’m so grateful for this new awareness. 🤍

Hi Jen catching up here as well, sorry you were sick I get migranes bimonthly and they are awful! I tried what you said - using my left hand throughout my day to feel more embodied and it was an experience!! Everyone should try it haha. Anyway here are things that stuck with me during your session:

-Truth being the inevitability of suffering 

-Suffering reveals peace and understanding what we have 

-We create harm based on what we perceive 

All within context of course as you said! I journaled about these deeper in my notebook and tried aligning these ideas with generational trauma and my family tree. Very interesting thanks so much! 

Andrea

Hi all, it's really starting to become such a bummer that I can't join live! I am trying my best to catch up. Who knew being a working mom, a learning mom and surviving the current political climate in the US would be so hectic. LOL I digress, there were so many thought provoking things said in this session. Even the way the session started, questioning, " What brings you to the mat?" I never really thought about it. I remember in one of our first sessions, I believe it was Andrienne, who said yoga is like a long time friend that I keep returning to. And I deeply connect with that. But this cohort has made me think even deeper. Like what is it I am healing, replenishing, reparing? What needs the most nourishment? Is it me providing that by following the himsas or is it who i work for? I think circling back to one of our guest lectures I really want to get clear on this, Who do I work for? and I think will help enlighten me with further answers for "what brings me to my mat?" 

Just a few stand a lone quotes that stood out to me during class... " create agency." Like wow, this is actually a running theme in my life right now. I am working with my therapist on ways that my agency/sovreignity had been challenged during childhood and my relationship with " authority figures. It's a actually quite healing to know that I am not gaining this knowledge to become some person in a yogic hierarchy, because the idea of ownership of leadership seems so patriarchal and capitalistic to me. Even in the confines of how I parent my daughter...THIS IS NOT MINE ( circling back again to our guest lecture) What do I even own? LOL probably nothing. I digress, I think thought this is healing because I am learning how to provide  safe space for peoples agency and it taps into a root of empathy that I never knew was possible. 

Another interesting take away is that I am the most important person. I mean, I've done everything for everyone my entire life! What a concept. Also, in my sober journey I got clean and sober by ways of 12 steps fellowships and in those texts and communities you are taught that other peoples suffering is your job to nurture. That the newcomer is the most important person in the room. At it's core I deeply understand that someone just getting clean needs tenderness and nourishment, but again it doesn't quite hit the mark of true community care, I feel. How can I take care of you if I don't even know my own needs? If I don't know my own, " emotional range of motion" etc. Standing in my own agency helps me help you find yours. I think often in a lot of spaces that is what is not taught. 

Now for Ahimsa, I love loved the fact that Jen brought up veganism. Mostly because recently, ( this is how much you'll know i live in my head) I started to feel guilty for eating meat. I've been vegan before but it was rooted in very disordered ways etc. But I literally cried about it a few weeks ago and I was like oh no when we get to ahimsa i'll probably have to be vegan again. But alas, like always Jen approaches concepts with such tenderness and nourishment  that I was like oh right scarcity.... maybe it isn't for me. 

I know there was a little exercise in the group, but to be honest I didn't really understand it. But the conversations everyone had seemed so thought provoking. I really am missing out on these breakout groups! 

Much love! <3