Last Wednesday, I attended my first Urban Zen class, and let me tell you, I felt more at peace with myself than I have in a really long time. The class consisted of a few meditation poses paired with certain essential oil scents. The lovely organizers also transferred some healing energy through reiki. Growing up, I viewed yoga and meditation techniques as a way to balance out my technical dance training during the week. However, since coming to college, I have lost that aspect of my life. I love my dance classes on campus, but the lack of technical training resulted in me losing some of my passion for yoga and meditation. I reached the point where I felt like I didn’t need these practices to balance out my schedule anymore.
I was very wrong. Just because my dance practice has gone through a shift as I have gotten older, I can’t just give up on these other aspects of self care. Oftentimes, we confuse self care with specifically marketed products like skin care or relaxation tools, but for me, self care involves taking time to just exist with myself. This class reminded me of how important this is.
The class focused on a few specific healing postures, which incorporated blocks, blankets, chairs, and bolsters. We began with a lemon oil, softly blending it into our hands and wrists. Then, we sat facing our chair and leaned over to rest our arms and head onto the cushion of the chair. It seems unusual, but once we settled into the pose, I felt my body melt into the position, smelling the zesty lemon around me. The instructor, Lori Conway, also used her background knowledge in reiki to press her hands onto our backs. Sometimes, when I practice yoga, I tend to choose salutations and routines that move quickly. It felt uncomfortable for me to stay with myself in this position for so long, but once I accepted the process, I really enjoyed it.
Then, we transitioned into frankincense, which was my favorite scent, and set up a structure with two blocks and the yoga bolster. Laying on my side up against this elevated shape felt so comforting; I was able to welcome my wandering thoughts, process them, and then release them as I focused on my breathing. I forgot about my phone sitting across the room, my assignments to complete for the next day, and other stressors in my life. I lost a sense of time, and I was okay with that.
Our final couple of postures allowed us to sink into the process of grounding ourselves. We began by laying our backs against the bolster and block structure as we surrounded our crossed legs with blankets. I rolled them under my hips for support and covered the rest of my body with another for warmth and comfort. For the last pose, I completed an in-depth body scan as we grounded our backs into the flat mats and raised our legs to rest on the chair in front of us. The instructors also placed our bolsters onto our feet to add a little bit of weight. Again, this felt odd in the beginning, but once I allowed myself to analyze how each part of my body felt, I noticed how relaxed I was. They also passed around small pads soaked in peppermint oil, which created such a calming feeling around my body. All of my senses felt satisfied, and I did not want to move, keeping my eyes closed and just feeling the weight of the bolster as I smelled the oil around me.
By the conclusion of the class, I felt completely at peace with myself. I could leave for the rest of my evening with a sense of calm acceptance. I knew immediately after I left that I needed this for myself, and it’s okay that it took me a few minutes to sink into it. I really recommend this class to anyone on Denison’s campus, and for those who aren’t, I would still recommend taking some time for yourself to commit to your own individualized versions of these practices.