Infomercial For The Sun Practice

I was recently asked to write a quick elevator pitch for the traditional Sun Practice of the Sri Vidya lineage of Tantra Yoga. This pitch was meant to spark interest in the practice for someone who had very little to no knowledge of Yoga. The elevator pitch turned out very tongue-in-cheek, similar to a late night Infomercial. Here it goes:

The Sun Practice is like a burst of sunshine into your soul! These practices build energy, we call this energy Prana. The Sun sustains all life in the natural world. It is warm and comforting, and it draws us out-of-doors into activity. The Sun Practices include movements like Backbends and Side Stretches (called Laterals in the Yoga world) mixed with pauses in between to soak in the light, the Prana. Afterward you feel open, expansive, alive. Breathwork is very important in these practices to collect the energy we’ve created. We do this by developing our inhale, sometimes with a slight holding of the breath. All of this culminates with a meditation practice that allows us to play with and manipulate the movement of all of this collected energy. Sometimes we use comforting sounds and chants to feel closer to this energy. This is where we can experience the energy as something greater than we are, inspiring us to be our best selves. We become like the sun, always shining and expansive.

This month I have incorporated elements of the Sun Practices into all of the classes. We have focused on Lateral Poses, increased Inhale, and the mantra So Hum. The Summer Solstice Celebration on June 20th will be a traditional Sun Practice, celebrating the Sun’s longest day of the year!

Lynne HeadleyJune 11, 2021