Svaroopa yoga

Svaroopa yoga has been wonderful in helping me stretch and release emotions, process them, and reduce anxiety. It’s been eye-opening to realize how much of my emotional trauma was stored as feelings in my muscles. I’d never have believed it if I hadn’t experienced it for myself, but in the same way folks say that rolfing provides emotional release, so does Svaroopa. It’s so gentle that I call it couch-potato yoga.
I’ve tried other types of restorative yoga but for me, this one is the hands-down winner.
At the same time, it’s allowed my muscles to lengthen and become more flexible again.
Svaroopa believes that when the back, shoulder blades and pelvis are adjusted to lie flat on the floor, then the mind can relax and true release is possible. Classes involve an instructor keeping a close eye on positioning, with the goal being improvement in alignment.
I’ve come a long way since I started. Of course, I walked in to the studio the first day having no idea I had a structural problem. From what I’ve learned over the last year, I can see my right side was held so tightly for years because of injury that in essence, my right side was shorter than my left.
Thanks to Svaroopa, my right hip is more open and I no longer get hip pain when I go for long walks. I used to turn my right foot out to compensate for the tight muscles making the leg effectively shorter, but I don’t have to do that anymore, either. Thanks to not rotating my foot so far out of alignment, I no longer have my chronic knee problems, either.
I still have a ways to go before my alignment is corrected, but I feel so fortunate to be on the right path. I had been headed towards a hip replacement, but I believe I’ve caught it in time.