We've got quite an international yoga adventure coming to the our blog pretty soon. Stay tuned for the first post!
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When it came to choosing props for Inhale, I pulled out all the stops in the hopes that one day someone like me might fall in love with a prop one day. All it takes is one to blow your mind. I chose solid blocks, long and soft straps, a rainbow of blankets, and colorfully patterned bolsters. You will even find baskets of balls. Sandbags is next on the list. Because at one point or another each of these extras has enhanced my practice.
Yoga was my constant. My comfort. My home. No matter what storms were raging in my life, I always had my yoga mat. I always had that safe space. I created it for myself, and it was wonderful. Unfortunately, I took my safe space for granted. I abandoned my home.
When Maria practices yoga, she can restore both a sense of confidence and calm by choosing empowering yoga poses that help her focus on one thing at a time. When she does this, she can tell that voice that says “Are you sure???” to be quiet and just watch her rock her world.
I had always hated the final rest, I felt as though it was a waste of my time. Why would I want to lie there in silence when there were so many things to be done? When I came back to class the next day, the instructor pulled me aside and asked me why I had left. Naturally, I told her the fake story about having to study for five midterms and write three 20 page papers. She looked right into my eyes and said “If you can’t be still you’ll never be well.”
Like the Centaur, Sagittarians must find a way to focus their energy – both physically and mentally. When Leslie learns how she can focus her energy, she will start to feel more grounded and more energized.
The most important lesson I have learned this past year is that our “plans” don’t mean much. As soon as you feel comfortable, start planning your days, weeks, and months down to every minute the universe will surely laugh and shout, “Oh you thought!”
When I return from retreats, I find that I have new tools to navigate life. I have created more space to allow more experiences to truly become a part of me. I return a stronger, softer, more confident, grounded person, and I’m ready to ride the waves with a bit more ease.
Goodbye is not a dirty word. It is O.K., it is healthy, it is how you grow. We live in a world where the urge to stay connected forever and always is constantly looming over us. Our phones, the internet, apps, airplanes, maybe one day teleportation, make it easier than ever to hold onto things that no longer serve us. Saying goodbye is a practice, just like yoga, just like everything else.