The start of a new year inspires many of us to encounter and embrace change in our lives.  There are so many new opportunities that a new year can provide.  This new year at Drishtiq we are starting something new!  We are planning to have a focus each month and although each practice will be different depending on the instructor and type of practice (Gentle, Warm, Yin…), you may notice some similarities in the practices that you experience in each class. The month of January our focus will be on Core and Twists. 

There are many reasons why both of these are so important in our practice.

Our core is the center of our body and it supports us.  Many times when we think core, we immediately think of our abdominals.  The muscles in your belly area are very important to your core, but what you may not realize is that our back muscles are part of our core as well and these two groups of muscles work together to support our skeletal structure. 

Strengthening our core involves strengthening abdominal and back muscles.  If your abdominals are weak, it can impact your back and cause back pain!  

As you may recall, I have been discussing the Yamas in my previous blogs and I intend to go back to them again soon.  But this month, I would like to touch on one of the Niyamas because of its relationship with Core and Twisting. 

That Niyama is Saucha.  Saucha means purification. 

Sometimes after indulging in those holiday treats, we need to clean out our digestive systems and remove impurities using diet and exercise.  Many people talk about eating “clean” which means eating from the earth and avoiding preservatives and additives in our food.  We also exercise to remove impurities from our body.  Two ways to do this is to sweat like in a hot yoga class and using breath and twists within our practice. 

During your practices this month you will experience a nice full body balanced Drishtiq Flow with a focus on twists and core work.  We are so happy to be celebrating a new year with you and look forward to a great 2020!