In my research, I found that wellness and spirituality are very personal terms to define. Despite the great variety in both class style and studio space, I found participants and myself engaging with wellness and spirituality. From the slow, meditative classes of Saratoga Springs Yoga to the athletic and strenuous practice of Hot Yoga, participants come to 'get away' from normal life, focus on themselves, and embrace their inner quietude and oneness. What I came away with from my project is the observation and understanding of yoga as much more than a physical discipline. While physical health and fitness are indeed effects of a regular yoga practice, my observations and interviews with practitioners in Saratoga reveal benefits extending beyond the physical body. I conclude by classifying yoga under wellness, rather than health, as it engages the spirituality of participants as well as the physical body. By being a practice that affects the mind and spirit as well as the body, yoga is a practice of wellness, a classification that extends back to its origins more than six thousand years ago.
Posted by Bridget Smith '14 Local projects can still have international ties and resonance. In my project I explore several yoga studios in downtown Saratoga Springs looking for the continuance and modern iterations of yoga philosophy as present in the classes offered. My project takes on modern notions of spirituality and wellness, and analyzes the ways in which the ancient practice of yoga fits into contemporary Western life. By engaging at the community level, I assessed larger trends of health and wellness within the States and observed the philosophy and practices associated with these lifestyle choices. Through participant observation and interviews, I entered into and experienced personally the contemporary world of Western yoga practice, which I found personally and academically fulfilling. Through my exploration of the local, I carried out transnational research into ancient yoga practices and philosophies as well as different global interpretations of this practice. By choosing a project that personally interested and excited me, I designed a study on a topic that related to both my Religion and Anthropology majors as well as being an all-around engaging experience.
In my research, I found that wellness and spirituality are very personal terms to define. Despite the great variety in both class style and studio space, I found participants and myself engaging with wellness and spirituality. From the slow, meditative classes of Saratoga Springs Yoga to the athletic and strenuous practice of Hot Yoga, participants come to 'get away' from normal life, focus on themselves, and embrace their inner quietude and oneness. What I came away with from my project is the observation and understanding of yoga as much more than a physical discipline. While physical health and fitness are indeed effects of a regular yoga practice, my observations and interviews with practitioners in Saratoga reveal benefits extending beyond the physical body. I conclude by classifying yoga under wellness, rather than health, as it engages the spirituality of participants as well as the physical body. By being a practice that affects the mind and spirit as well as the body, yoga is a practice of wellness, a classification that extends back to its origins more than six thousand years ago.
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Posted by Sofie Belkin-Sessler '14 Immediately upon entering the One Big Roof workshop and retreat center, before anyone had arrived, I felt a sense of calm. Pierre Zimmerman, the director, welcomed me as he always does, and the space grew in size and beauty in front of my eyes. It was bigger than I had remembered, the floor more wooden, the sunshine through the two back windows even more beautiful… Taking in the empty space I felt good, thoughtful and ready. There comes a point in time where you know what you know, and you know that that knowledge must be shared. It is bubbling up inside you, it bangs at your chest to be let out. I finally let it out like a breath held for too long… For the past year I have been studying the conjunction and interplay between Zen meditation and movement. As someone who is both an anthropologist and a dancer, I was attracted to the idea of conducting a study looking at how dance is meditative for dancers, performers, dance teachers and choreographers. The results of my fieldwork, conducted both in India and the U.S., have most recently culminated in a Movement Meditation Workshop held One Big Roof in downtown Saratoga Springs. |
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