I don’t know about you, but when I was a child the new school term used to fill me with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. New pencil case, new shoes, sharpened crayons and looking forward to seeing my friends again versus “where will I be sitting?”, “will I be able to do the work?” and even “will my friends still like me?” There is and always will be the case of taking the rough with the smooth in life……
Over the last 16 weeks or so in our yoga practice we have been looking at the Eightfold Path of Yoga .. guidelines to help us focus on the way we interact with ourselves and with society and the Universe at large …in turn this has given us tools to “take the rough with the smooth” and weather the storms of life by digging deeper roots. When stormy weather comes our way we will find that whilst our branches and leaves may be ruffled, our roots will stay firm and grounded.
“Yoga” means “union” of mind body and soul. As such our practice goes far beyond just the physical exercise that some people believe is what yoga is all about. By harnessing our body and breath we open up and develop a deep understanding of our place and part in the Universe; we dig deep to allow room for our spiritual being to awaken and develop into its full potential.
The sequence of asanas in our yoga practice is designed to align our skin, body and muscles to open and free the many channels of the body, particularly the main channel of the spine, thus allowing our energy to flow freely. This in turn helps us release blockages and boost our immune system.
Yoga is a path on a journey to creating balance and uniting opposites. We develop a balance of strength and flexibility in our physical bodies. In each moment we accept and allow our body to be as it is; using no force but a gentleness and understanding of who we are. We also learn to balance our effort and surrender in each posture. Yoga is a most powerful tool to bring about our self-transformation. It encourages us to focus on our breath bringing calm to the fluctuations of our mind and assisting more presence in the unfolding of what each moment has to offer to us as unique and amazing individual beings.
As we enter this new period and new term we could ask the question “ what might I do differently now” “how might I develop my practice” “am I committing fully to yoga or not?”. Just 10 minutes a day can make all the difference, not only to ourselves but to everyone and every being with whom we interact …….. the “butterfly effect”. Perhaps invite yourself to find a quiet space in your home; place your mat on the floor and a few treasured possessions around you; some photos of those you love, a flower, a candle or some meaningful mementos…. This will set the scene for calm and a place of practice, curious self-inquiry and self-development.
I am looking forward to continuing our journey together starting on this coming Tuesday. There are two places on the mat still available for this block of five sessions. If you would like to take up one of them please let me know as soon as you can.