Dear Yogis and Yoginis,
After so many uninterrupted days of dry weather, it feels right to say: spring is finally here! My classes have also resumed and I've felt welcomed and blessed both by the warmth on my skin and in the spaces were I teach.
Over the past week, I have had the pleasure to reconnect with a lot of you and find your spirits clearly lifted by the sunshine. When the days become longer, warmer, and lighter, I notice a perceptible difference in the way yoga is practiced. Students seem to be braver, more interested in keeping an open heart and waking up the body. I look forward to riding this wonderful wave of energy over the next term in order to explore more challenging poses and to find a playful edge to the way we come to the mat.
In the meantime, as you come back to practice with me, I invite you to do so gently, with a curious approach to how your practice might feel different after the break. Can you reintroduce your body to downward dog with kindness? Can you connect to your breath and let it guide your awareness of how you are moving? And where is your mind headed in response to all this sunshine and spring activity?
In the meantime, as you come back to practice with me, I invite you to do so gently, with a curious approach to how your practice might feel different after the break. Can you reintroduce your body to downward dog with kindness? Can you connect to your breath and let it guide your awareness of how you are moving? And where is your mind headed in response to all this sunshine and spring activity?
When I come to my yoga mat to practice, I am reminded again and again that the real challenge is not perfecting a physical position, but learning to stay connected to how I am experiencing myself in that moment. Is there a quality of excitement? What are my expectations? Is there a continuous stream of thought and opinions defining the currents of my mind? And what happens when I come across things that I perceive as negative or problematic?
The lovely teacher Judith Lasater was training a group of us in early March, and among other things, she taught us the mantra: "How human of me!" As you come to practice this month, when you encounter something about yourself that feels a little off, give it a try, and notice if it allows you to stay connected to yourself a little differently. As usual, please don't hesitate to be in touch with me if you have any questions.
Sending you my best wishes,
Beatrice
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