I have practiced yoga (asanas) for many years. On and off – mostly off. Called upon it when I had nothing else, when I was bored, desperate, lost, depressed and/or didn’t want to do ‘regular’ exercise. Never consistent and never dedicated. I did not honour what it did for me all those times.
Then one day my body’s wisdom overrode this.
I began practicing every day, mixing in Pilates – I wanted to be strong. All days of the week. When I felt weak or low I would turn to Yin. I began to soften. I became gentle and kind to myself. Within 3-4 months (a guess, as it was so subtle and gradual) my body started to change in ways I had never experienced. Notable shifts in my psyche too. Then a cascade of newness!
Clarity and lightness all over. So steady. Grounded in myself.
From only one year of regular dedicated practice, I felt brand new… ever changing, a wonderful feeling. Deeply grooved ways of being, literally stretched out and opened up for clean slates. I was also less puffy/inflamed in my face and body, lost weight (melted even some stubborn belly fat), sleeping better, thinking clearly and making better choices for what and when to eat! The list goes on.
I had to know more. What was happening to me? What is Yoga beyond its reduction to ‘exercise’, the practice it is still popularised for today. Embarking on Yoga Teacher Training will be a lifelong journey. The very beginning of my personal discovery of a 4000 year old, and counting… precious spiritual discipline. Soaked in science. Beyond science. Here in the ‘West’, we’ve only touched the tip on the iceberg.
My deepest gratitude to every soul who dedicated their lifetime to champion a powerful tool for healing… for transcendence, for collective liberation.
Yin gifts me rest, patience, softness, forgiveness, space, loving awareness, loving kindness. Strong, soft, spacious, insightful and ever available.
A truly nourishing and generous practise. The body tells no lies.
I dedicate this space to paying it forward.