San Culpa

is a yogic term for intention. Or so I just learned this morning. I am taking a yoga class this semester and I'm really excited. We are required to keep a journal of our readings and feelings/progress/questions/insights/whatever. They are just sent to our professor but I would like to share mine here as well for my record and benefit.

For our first journal, we were asked to clarify our intention for the class and reflect on the breathing technique we learned on the first day. And so, Journal #1, Intentions:

My purpose in taking this class is to reconnect with my body. I feel like I have gotten out of touch with it. In reading Donna Farhi's first two chapters (of Bringing Yoga to Life), she talks a lot about peoples motivations for starting yoga. I thought what she said was really interesting, and recognized some of what she talked about in my life.

My initial motivation was to regain flexibility and feel more attuned with my body but after reading her chapters, I realized that I am also searching for a new type of spiritual renewal in my life, which could have lead me to yoga. Even though that was not my initial intention, after reading those chapters, I would like to incorporate that into my san culpa.

So my intention for this class is to reconnect with my physical body and improve its function and flexibility. I also hope to reconnect with a deeper part of myself and begin to feel a spiritual renewal that Donna talks about in her book.

I practiced ujjayi (the breathing technique) a few nights before going to bed. I found it helped me to clear my head when I was thinking about too many things.

I noticed I was holding my breath this weekend when I went to see a movie. It was in a moment of tension in the film and I held my breath until the moment passed. I realized that I must have been pretty wrapped up in the film.

Have you ever taken a yoga class? How did it change your perception of yourself and the world? What was your intention when you started?