Final 3 Column Chart

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-uWFXRsQf2nVzVaQkZNVzdlOXM/edit

Senior Project and ESLRs

The four ESLRs are the following:

• Effective Learner
• Effective Communicator
• Effective User of Technology
• Effective I-Poly Citizen

1. The ESLR I have excelled the most in is Effective Learner.
2. I think I have excelled in this ESLR because whenever I am taking a class and the instructor tell me to adjust or change what I'm doing, then I do it. When the instructor gives me constructive criticism in my practice, I am open and I change it properly. I believe by being open to change, I have demonstrated the attributes of an effective learner for having better retained the knowledge of the position of the pose. 
3. I'm unsure how to provide a photo of what I previously described since it is not allowed to take pictures during a practice in a studio. 

2-Hour Meeting Answer #3

1.  What is your essential question?
-What is the best way in practicing Vinyasa Yoga to reduce stress levels?

2.  What is your third answer to your essential question (write your third answer in a complete sentence)?
-Balance the meditation and physical aspect of the practice.

3.  What are three details to support or justify your third answer (details are examples or facts)?
1) When I practice yoga at the gym, I notice that you can't just focus on meditation or physical solely. When you practice one over the other, you don't really get the full effect of the restorative process yoga is trying to instill. When I would focus on meditation, my mind would feel stress free, but at the end of the class my body would still feel heavy. When I would focus on the physical, my body would feel light, but my mind would still be burdened with whatever was on my mind.

2) In my third interview with Karen, she mentioned how important it is to maintain a balance in meditation and the poses when trying to reduce stress. She talked about how stress is both mental and physical, therefore if you don't focus on meditation which handles the mental, and the poses which handles the physical, then at the end you'll feel off balanced. She stressed how people that can't find this balance generally don't see the benefits of yoga to its full potential because they are not experiencing it. This can cause people to get turned off by yoga and stop practicing it.

3) In an article entitled "Mind Body Integration", it mentions how the mind and meditation is the act of restful awareness. It talks about how being aware is key to dealing with stress. It mentions how when the mind is more aware, it tends to react less, and with the structure of society today where the mind is always reacting, it decreases stress and calms the mind down to be more aware and react less.

4.  What source helped you prove this answer is justified for your essential question?
Krishnamurthy, Raji. "Mind Body Integration." Proquest.com. India Currents, Sept. 2012. Web. 12 Oct. 2012.

5.  What do you plan to study next and why? 
I plan to try to find that perfect balance in practicing Vinyasa yoga. I want to know how much effort one should put in each to maximize the stress that is lost during the practice.

2 hour meeting answer #2

1) What is the best way in practicing Vinyasa yoga to reduce stress levels?
2) My second answer is the following: To refine and deepen the pose technique when practicing yoga.
3) a) When I practice yoga personally, I notice a significant difference when practicing my poses. For example when doing warrior 1 before, I never really felt that great doing it, but once my instructor corrected me by adjusting my footing by making me take a wider stance and by squaring my hips...I felt the difference almost immediately. The stretch burned in the thighs, but by trying to improve to become more flexible by trying to go deeper, I noticed the aftermath effect was a decrease in muscle tension in my legs, which is a decrease of physical stress.
b) Rizopoulos, Natasha. "Open Your Heart." Upward Facing Dog. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. <http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/2317>. This article talks about how deepening your pose can make a difference. The article uses the example of downward dog and how deepening the pose really opens up the heart and is beneficial to the body and health of the person practicing.
c) Another example would be just from testimonials from other yoga students. When I talk to them and ask how to reduce stress, they mention how the poses really work for them. They tell me how focusing on the stretch and constantly trying to do it better is like a metaphor for them in the real world to focus on doing things right and to constantly try to get better. This in effect helps them get whatever is stressing them to currently diminish significantly in the weight of which it was weighing them down.
4) The main source that helped me prove this answer is justified is from an article entitled "3 ways to deepen your yoga practice." This source stressed the point of how in yoga, one might focus too much on doing the pose right, but deepening a pose may not always mean exerting more effort. The source stresses the point on how sometimes deepening a pose may mean trying to use the least amount of muscles possible to hold the pose and talks about how this in turn provides the person with more awareness and a sense of relaxation. The awareness and relaxation are opposite of feeling stressed, so by improving technique and deepening a pose, a person can feel less stressed.
5) I plan to continue my study of answer 2 by researching which poses when best reduce tension in the body and which ones are more effective in reducing stress. Some poses are meant for strength, some for the mind, and some for relaxation. I want to look specifically into the relaxation and strength and find out which poses are the best.

Blog 9: Working EQ adn Possible Answers

(1) What was the working EQ you used during your presentation?

What is the most important benefit from practicing yoga?

(2) Did you decide to revise your working EQ after your presentation? If so, write your revised EQ here.  If not simple write "I am not going to revise my EQ at this time".

I am not going to revise my EQ at this time.

(3) What are possible answers to your current working EQ? 

1) Mental Relaxation. When you practice yoga on with complete focus, one tends to feel relaxed at the end of the session after the decompression/cool-down poses. This results on a mental state that the student thinks clearer and their mood is better.

2) Physical toning. Yoga provides good physical exercise and helps keep the heart healthy. It can tone many parts of the body and improves flexibility.

Blog 2: Topic Choice

Content

a. What is your topic and why?
            My topic is yoga and I chose this because my parents told me I need to find a way to get more healthy and to improve my attitude, and yoga does just that! Originally me and my friend Darien tried yoga at a 24 hour fitness gym just cause we thought we'd be cool if we did it, but after that one class I realized how much of an impact it had on my stress level, mood, and overall perception of the world. I chose yoga cause ultimately it is good for my physical and mental health. 

b. And what do you plan to accomplish this year with this topic?
             My ultimate goal with this topic would be to improve my health. It has been brought to my attention that I do not have the most nutritious diet and I do not have the best posture, so it is my goal to become healthy and to correct my posture. Yoga helps improve the mental and physical state of people so with this topic I essentially plan on working to be a better person in general. I understand how becoming a better person is hard to quantify, so in quantifiable terms I want to fix my diet, get fit, improve my stamina, flexibility, and posture as a result of studying and practicing this topic.

• Effective iPoly Citizen: I plan to practice yoga on a regular basis, to focus on pushing my physical and mental limits in class, and to always arrive to service learning on time as well as respect each of my fellow yoga piers and teachers in and out of class. This relates to me becoming a better iPoly Citizen because the principle of punctuality and respect towards others in the yoga class will transcend from good behavior in the class to good behavior in everyday life as well. Practicing yoga regularly will help me control my breath more which then directly relates to controlling my thoughts and actions since the "breath" links the body both physically and mentally. This will result in me becoming more interdependent and aware of my own actions, thoughts, and responsibilities in handling situations in the yoga class, at iPoly, and at home.
• Effective Communicator: I plan to listen to my instructor's instructions with the utmost cooperation, to focus on being aware of my distance and position from fellow piers in the studio, and to talk towards my fellow piers or instructors in the studio with respect. This will make me more effective as a learner because listening is a skill that is essential to effective communication. Yoga classes can get pretty cramped at times, but it is important to give each person a decent amount of space for them to practice their flow. By giving each person respectable space, collaboration is being done to provide everyone with the most enjoyable yoga experience possible. 
• Effective Learner: I plan to ask my instructors questions, to dig deeper outside of class and learn more about yoga in its entirety, and to eventually develop my own yoga flow that suits my health best. This will make me more effective as a learner because asking questions and seeking knowledge on my own time will cause me to form my own conclusions, to expand on teachings taught to me, and to ultimately assume responsibility of my own education. 
• Effective User of Technology: I plan to use websites, data bases, and audio pod casts to my sole benefit to understand, learn, and question more about yoga. This will make me a more effective user of technology by expanding my skills in utilizing technology in finding information that is beneficial to my knowledge. Consistent use of websites, data bases, and audio pod casts will contribute to me gaining experience in using technology which will then in turn result in me becoming more effective and efficient for future practices.