Week 6: February Theme: Exploration Affirmation: Every day I open my heart and mind to exploration and discovery. As we enter the second month of the year (the fourteenth of the new decade) snow was falling softly outside my window and I could see the tops of the trees turning white. OK I realise it's not settled on the ground (maybe it will tonight) but for a moment the world looks better and, for a short time only, it's lovely and cosy being indoors with nowhere to go. Hopefully with the spring we'll be set free to explore the outside world again. I'm looking forward to trips further than the local park, visits to friends and coffee in crowded cafes again but in the meantime why not explore our own homes. What do they say about us? And why not explore ourselves, the inner most place that we so rarely take time to discover? Today's class (after a short internet hitch, probably caused by the weather! and a moment of panic while I pressed all the wrong buttons, definitely in the wrong order trying desperately to get back on track) included a slow and mindful EBR1. If you already know the movements, I recommend following my voice rather than watching the screen and closing your eyes during this practice. What do you discover about yourself? Explore that space, notice how you move, how your body feels, enjoy being in the moment. The simple movements of EBR1 are all that are needed to release tension from every joint, allowing energy to flow freely bring ease (rather than dis-ease) to the body. Today I invited people to become aware of the subtle bodies (koshas) as they moved. In the yogic tradition, different layers of our being are referred to as the koshas. There are 5 koshas, often drawn as circles. You can think of the koshas from the physical body outwards or inwards. Another way to think of the koshas is like a Russian Doll, one inside the other. All are equally important but we often focus only on the physical and ignore the other layers.
We also practised Flowing Tree - which I also encourage you to practise with your eyes closed. You can choose to rest heel on ankle if you're not sure about your balance or you really want to take time to focus inwards and to experience the moving meditation OR challenge yourself by taking the foot higher, onto the calf or even the inner thigh - always avoiding the knee. We finished with the Tree of Transformation - reaching forward as we step back, reclaiming our power and fixing it back into the present. Practise this sequence every day for 21 days in order to change habits and establish a new way of being. I find that the simplest movements have the most power to transform us. Give it a go and let me know in the comments how you get on. Quotation: “In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion.” Albert Camus (1913-1960, French Philosopher This week’s Task: Embrace your safe place: Exploration isn’t always about trekking in new territories – it can happen anywhere. This week, begin at home. Find an hour to spend in your favourite room (maybe where you do yoga!). Treat it like a cave of treasures. Explore every corner; dig through the drawers and cupboards; leaf through the books. Think about what the room and the things in it say about you. In exploring the room, what do you discover about yourself? Taken from Every Day Matters Diary by Dani DiPirro
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MARY GRIFFITHSI qualified to teach in 2015 but my yoga journey started much earlier, way back in the 1970s. Here I share my experiences and passion about everything yoga. Archives
May 2021
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