The Beauty of Letting Go
By Kyle Roderick
Hailey, Idaho-based yoga teacher Ryan Redman stresses that yoga is as much a journey of inner healing and self-discovery as it is one of breathing and moving the body into physical postures. At his May 27th beginner’s retreat at Dharma Marga studio (during the 9th annual Sun Valley Wellness Festival) in Sun Valley, Idaho, he stated: “Yoga can help you breathe deep, turn off the noise in your brain and body, and focus on how good it feels to simply exist in space and time.”
Redman explains that he likes “to teach beginners about what the ancient yogis called vairagyam or detachment, as a means for creating space in our minds and bodies to be as we truly are.” Along with his wife, Paige, who is also a yoga teacher, Redman lived in India, where they studied yoga and Ayurvedic healing for several years before they opened Dharma Marga. Detachment also means letting go of defining yourself exclusively by your thoughts, identity, and/or connection to material possessions.
Rather than numbing out, detachment promotes reunion with your true self—and with your prana, or life force. An athletic-looking, fifty-something woman who was recovering from hip replacement surgery epitomized Redman’s perspective. “My body will never be the same,” she acknowledged. “But I can use my breathing to relax my mind and help my body move in new ways. This approach to yoga is helping me explore my body and build strength.”
Simple breathing techniques, known in yoga as pranayama, were taught before any physical postures (asanas) were practiced. This is because, contrary to how most American yoga teachers lead classes, “Ancient yogic teachings hold that the movement of the breath always initiates the physical movement,” Redman explains.
The retreat offered intriguing Kundalini experiences, as well. Kundalini is a Sanskrit word meaning “the coiled one,” or the cosmic energy that lies dormant in a coiled form in the muladhara chakra located at the base of the spine. This subtle power, sometimes described as the supreme goddess, Redman explained, can be awakened through pranayama and yoga practice to purify the entire being. As Kundalini energy travels upward through the spine, it activates the various chakras, finally reaching the sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head. There, it is believed, the individual soul merges into the supreme Self and attains the state of Self-realization.
We practiced awakening our Kundalini energies by performing headstands against the wall while propped on blankets and folding chairs. With shoulders and arms resting on cushioned chairs, our heads and necks hung freely in the space between. As muscles unclenched and spines decompressed, participants hung upside down in silence smiling for minutes on end. Talk about letting go!
For information on Ryan Redman retreats, classes, and Ayurveda courses visit www.healingdharma.com
September/October 2006
