Almost everyone I know battles with seasonal depression, myself included. We seem to want to mentally hibernate in the winter, even though our bodies are not meant for it. One thing leads to another, and suddenly you realize you haven’t done anything but sit in bed and watch Netflix for a month. It’s like that sun goes away, and we forget how to be human.
I drive by this yoga studio just about every day, so when I saw they had this class on the schedule I knew I had to work it into my tour. They are located on the first floor of the Providence Behavioral Health building on Smith Street, which is a shared medical building with multiple practices. It makes me so happy to see yoga tied right in with mental and physical health!
The practice space is very small, but the classes are also small, giving a more individualized experience. Dim lighting with cool blue/grey colors and a beautiful hardwood floor give the room a very mellow and welcoming vibe. Even though I’d never been there before, I was prepared to sink right into my mat and relax.
I found this practice to be very similar to my regular yin yoga class, but with holds not going quite so long or deep. We actually did a lot of the same postures that I practiced on Wednesday morning – I think because all of our yoga instructors are trying to keep away the winter blues!
Class began with arrival laying on the mat, and a long breathing exercise to get us focused on our breath. It was very similar to the breathing meditation done at restorative yoga earlier this week. We filled up the lungs first, then the belly, then both, before exhaling. While doing so, I could hear the pouring rain outside and it was invigorating.
In class we used a blanket, two blocks, a bolster and a strap to help with the postures. We moved the spine in all directions with plenty of cat/cows and spine twists, and did leg extensions using the strap. Towards the end, we did some more restorative, longer postures, such as my favorite reclining bound angle pose. Throughout class, there was heavy focus on connecting the breath with each movement, and “breathing into” postures when we found a point of discomfort. This was a new mindfulness aspect to the practice that I was not used to but thoroughly enjoyed.
Once we found our way into final savasana, we were guided to find our breath, and then given several minutes of time for silent meditation. I am admittedly very, very bad at this and tried my best to stay focused on breathing instead of letting my thoughts wander. I prefer guided meditation, only because my crazy monkey brain still needs the help! One day I’ll get there.
Class ended with a seated breathing exercise, and a nice namaste that felt very real since there were only 3 of us in the room and we still fed each other some beautiful energy.
As we were leaving, the next class started coming in and seemed really excited to be there. I checked the schedule on the way out and saw that it was a meditation class. Perhaps this is something to check out in the future? I could sure use more practice in that area.
I would recommend this studio for anyone who is recovering from an injury, has high blood pressure, or is working through mental health issues. This is a very individualized practice with yoga as a means of healing medicine – something we need so much more of in the world!
New England Yoga Tour 