Every now and again I teach a yoga workshop.
Our first this year was back in February and with positivity in mind I entitled it ‘Waking up to the possibility of Spring!’
The cold weather has kept on slithering around, crawling its cold fingers under doors and even through the brickwork of our old house. But feeling very optimistic I held our second workshop of 2013 and in my head at least it became THE SPRING EXPERIENCE! After all it was March 16th.
Words from Sandra Sabatini‘s book; Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer gave me inspiration.
Spring, a time of movement within the earth, a waking up and the stirring of energy. Even in the coldness leaves begin to form and shoots ease on up towards the wee bit of sunshine.
The energy fluctuates and we can feel incredibly optimistic and then totally exhausted and miserable. Sandra mentions that we have wild plans and ideas. This I know for myself but then I run out of steam and feel completely lacking.
When the sun shines there is excitement and smiles all round and it feels like all things are possible………
So on our lovely Saturday together we moved slowly through our warm-up. Then came lying about doing knees to chest, bridge, reclining tree, happy baby and much more and throughout we were supported by the earth.
Standing up and opening our feet lusciously into the ground we feel the roots of ourselves easing into the earth. As the feet open and awaken so the balance begins to return after months of winter and being curled into ourselves.
Moving on to greet the sun and build some warmth into our core and then finally into heat and demanding more of our bodies with twists and backbends to energise our spines and encourage our bodies to unravel and extend into new spaces and possibilities.
A talking circle draws everyone together into a place of sharing and trusting, a place where each person speaks from their heart centre with truth.
Then finally, yoga nidra, where let’s be honest most people went to sleep but maybe not quite!
And throughout this workshop and all the yoga I teach there is the breath, reminding us all to inhale, exhale. Really know you are breathing, pay attention to this, normally very automatic action. Enliven the breath by your awareness of it……
And to end with words from Sandra Sabatini’s book ‘Breath the essence of yoga’
under the magnifying glass
observe the breath
as if it were under a magnifying glass
be interested-
as if it were something foreign, unknown
be curious
as to what happens
every time you breathe in
and breathe out
so that you can see every step
just watch
this rhythmical dance between
the external world
and the inner world
this exchange that takes place all the time