Cute title. What does it mean? When I first decided I wanted to teach yoga, it was all about being so amazed at and grateful for how much better my body felt when I was practicing regularly and wanting to share that experience with others. As I’m aging and dealing with the changes in my own body, I’m convinced more than ever that this body functions much more efficiently and painlessly on Asana! And what’s ever more obvious to me, is how much clearer my head is, calmer my spirit is, and just plain happier I feel when this body of mine is functioning smoothly. Just like a car needing it’s regular tune up to insure a smooth ride, so it is with the astounding machinery of the human body.

The 2nd installment of Your Body on Asana series, CORE-ageous, Crunchless CORE!, (yeah, I love a good kitschy title), is all about figuring out exactly what and where our core truly is and learning how to access and harness the power we all have within us. It never ceases to amaze me that when we understand anatomically what we’re actually working with and how to tap into that inner strength, we are capable of experiencing our poses more fully and maybe even finding access to poses we thought were beyond our reach. Beyond the actual poses themselves, though, is the ease that comes from finding a more sustainable way to be in the pose. That’s empowering! And when we feel empowered in our bodies, we feel more courageous off the mat as well.

All this without a single crunch! Seriously…no crunches. I’ve never been a fan of the crunch and I’m unconvinced of its longterm benefits. Which brings me to my final point: Understanding, accessing and maintaining the power from within our deepest core is an essential component of creating an Asana practice that we can continue over the course of a lifetime. Whether you’re in your 20’s or your 60’s, having a strong, core centered practice, will serve you in the longterm. I plan on practicing Yoga for the rest of my life. Don’t you?

~ Miriam Serow

Join Miriam on Saturday, February 24th from 1-3:30pm!