Prompt - How is yoga seen as a healing practice at your practice space? How is this communicated to you? Is this part of the class practice? How do you feel after doing yoga?

Response - Yoga is often spoken about as an emotionally and physically healing practice in the classes I have taken. Yoga is often seen as energetically restorative and relaxing, and in a recent class I have taken, the instructor spoke about emotional and physical trauma getting stored in different parts of the body. Through different opening and stretching positions in the yoga class, these stored traumas were supposed to be released and those practicing were supposed to be able to heal this way. On a less spiritual level, yoga is thought of as a stress reliever and as a reliever of muscle pain or fatigue. I have also heard these things said in yoga classes. When I do yoga, it forces me to control my breathing and focus on just that and the positioning of my body for a while. The stretching and movement physically makes me feel good, and it also helps to bring down my anxiety levels.