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Yoga and Poetry – Strong Medicine

Do you ever feel weak and unassertive? Would you like to feel stronger? Trying the yoga pose called The Warrior might be just the place for you to start.

This was one of the most striking concepts that emerged during my recent radio conversation with father-daughter co-authors, Stephen and Shawna Emerick, who have just written a book together called the Nature of Life—Inner Voice, Inner Light. As Stephen, the poet-psychologist, and Shawna, the yoga teacher say in their book: yoga and poetry are strong medicine.

I first Met Shawna when I took her yoga and drumming class at a studio in upper Manhattan called Bread & Yoga. http://breadandyoga.com/wp/ I wrote about the experience in our local newspaper, the Manhattan Times. http://manhattantimesnews.com/2010/fit-in-the-city-the-yoga-beat.html

Can practicing the warrior pose really make you get better at feeling like a warrior in life? Although I’m known as a fitness guru, I’ve taken enough yoga classes to understand that yoga goes way beyond the physical if you give it chance. It really can affect you psychologically and emotionally. Why do we usually think of yoga in terms of just stretching, or relaxing, or perhaps strengthening? It does all that and so much more.

Each chapter of their book contains a yoga pose for you to practice. Shawna and Stephen urge you to experience what you are feeling in that pose. And here comes the poetry—then they suggest that you write about what you experienced in the pose. Yoga poses often look to me like poetry in motion. This goes way beyond that!

Stephen and Shawna will be giving a workshop in Ohio over the Halloween weekend. Shawna will be teaching yoga the YM-YWHA in Riverdale starting in November. In the meantime, listen to them here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nancercize/2010/10/21/yoga-and-poetry-are-strong-medicine

Shawna’s website www.ShawnaYoga.com
Stephen’ website www.NaturePoet.com
Buy the book www.blurb.com
Buy Stephens Native American Flute CDs www.CDBaby.com
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