Category: Yoga Musings

Really excited to have had my first article published today on teachasana.com. This is a great website to support new yoga teachers as they start out on the wonderful journey of teaching yoga. Check out the article here: http://www.teachasana.com/2012/07/5-tips-for-including-a-dharma-talk-in-class/.

Rhythm is something we all naturally have, something we are born with – and like our own personal metronome it is this rhythm that sets the pace at which we are most comfortable. Respecting and honouring our natural pace gives us the ability to more skilfully manage our energy levels and stamina as we go throughout our day. When our pace and rhythm gets disrupted the effects are quickly felt. Take for example a long distance runner, if they set out at a pace that is too fast or even too slow the ensuing run will be much more demanding and challenging, both physically and mentally, than if they were to find the balance of their natural rhythm on that given day.

Runners are often acutely aware of the correct pace for themselves and the importance of respecting this yet for the rest of us it is rare that we take the time to assess the pace at which we take each day. Instead we let the demands on us and the societal pressures to continually do more set the pace and in turn we get disconnected from own natural rhythm. The result – just like the long distance runner, our day is more demanding and challenging, both physically and mentally.

The most common resistance to slowing down and tuning in to our personal metronome is that we don’t have enough time in the day to stop rushing and still meet all the demands. But trust me you do. A slower more integrated pace by no means effects your productivity; in fact the opposite is true, the more you can regulate your pace the better you can manage your energy levels keeping an abundant store of steady energy all day.

So how do we reconnect with our natural rhythm and pace when we have ignored it for so long? Simple, tune into the breath – that continual natural rhythm has so much to teach us. In yoga we see the breath as your inner teacher. Observe your breath first thing when you wake up in the morning, set the rhythm of Samavritti – same length inhale and exhale. This even rhythm brings steadiness and ease to the mind and helps to keep the nervous system balanced. As you sit up in bed and take a few gentle stretches and start to count your breath, let a natural pace establish itself, it will probably be somewhere between 3 – 6 counts. As the breath gets more full and deep follow the lead of the breath as you get out of bed and stay in this even and steady rhythm as you go about the rituals of the morning. Continue to feel the pace, rhythm and depth of your breath so that you notice when you have shifted out of your natural pace: you begin to rush when you can’t find your car keys your breath becomes quicker yet shallower; you get stuck in slow moving traffic, you hold your breath starving the body of oxygen leading to a yawn which instead of interpreting as the bodies cue for you to breath more fully and deeply you instead take as an indication of tiredness and low energy and down the spiral goes. Yet when you are aware you can start an intervention, take control over your pace and energy levels by returning to the breath, returning to Samavritti and letting your natural breath count re-establish itself.
Through conscious breathing we can let this inner teacher show is the way and keep us in harmony with our natural rhythm and pace.

Last week the vinyasa yoga classes that I teach in Southampton were focused on integrity and how we build and sustain it through clarity, strength and flexibility.

Through clarity of our intention comes integrity in our action. How many times do we do something and not know why or sometimes not even know that we did it? One of the main aims of yoga is for us to learn live in the present moment with truthfulness (satya) and honesty. To do this we need to learn how to be present in all our actions to be clear and honest with ourselves and others about the intentions behind our actions.

Integrity has its Latin root in the word whole. This is not dissimilar to many translations of the word yoga meaning union to bring everything together as a whole. In yoga we have the word avidya which is like a net curtain that comes down and blocks our vision as we are unable to see the whole picture but through practise and awareness we can notice our blind spots and shine a light on them. When we aim to look at a situation in its wholeness we can choose how we react in the present moment, how we respond to the hand we are dealed.

To live with integrity both on and off the mat there are three simple things that we can try focusing on. Firstly clarity of intention, be honest about why you are doing something, if you don’t know the intention behind your action, don’t act. The second two comes as a pair, the need to be balance that of strength and flexibility. Strength of courage to speak up, to be present in every moment and speak what is in your heart and flexibility to see different perspectives and to truly try to understand another person’s point of view with an openness to change your own. All three of these can be first practised on the yoga mat and then filtered into daily living. There isn’t a yoga pose I can think of that isn’t a balance between strength and flexibility. Naturally most students start unbalanced in these two areas either strong with limited flexibility or flexible with limited strength. To have integrity in your yoga practise, to protect the body and find sustainability these two need to balance out and it is only through having a clear understanding about your intention in each pose can you work through refining the balance between strength and flexibility.

Experiment with finding integrity in your practise, be focusing on your intention and the balance between strength and flexibility.