The lockdown has given us loads of extra time to think, feel, be with ourselves. Time to really pause and simply be… And then beautiful things happen! New thoughts and feelings arise! Here’re some of mine…
Day 36
Stranded inside for so long now, many of us feel completely cut off from nature, especially if living in an apartment… But all natural elements are right here;
Oh, the sea! We can feel the Water as we move with flow in and out of a pose. The sand. It’s right there, in the Earth of our muscles and bones. The wind. It’s the air coming in and expanding our chest. The blazing summer sun. It’s in the Fire burning in our bellies. The elements of nature, so vivid and engaging, lie within. If we dare to embrace them and connect to them, we will ultimately connect to our mother nature.
Day 37
This great lockdown has been a once in a lifetime opportunity to go beyond asana. To embrace the other aspects of yoga we often neglect. Svadhyaya, one of the four Niyamas, is the study of one’s self, the effort to understand one’s true nature. How? By studying, reading books, articles, poems, listening to talks, lectures, anything that can deepen our understanding and make us see ourselves as part of something bigger. Because the thing is, that each one of us, like a wave, is part of a larger ocean. We have our own shape, color, direction, but underneath, we are the ocean. Bringing the experience of the ocean, the experience of that immense consciousness to awareness, is what Svadhyana is all about…
Day 41
FINDING YOUR CENTER
Many of us have tried finding our center through yoga, meditation, qigong, tai chi, etc. But hula hoop? Oh yes! Believe it or not, you can also find it through hooping! There’s never been a better time to start hooping. Some will power, concentration and playfulness is all you’ll need… After hooping for a while and getting into a flow, you will start to perceive your center. It’s there, right in the middle of your circling periphery!
You can also work with larger circles in the beginning that gradually close and close and close, until they become really delicate and small, like a minute vibration. Where you feel the vibration, is where your center lies!
As you focus on the sensation, the mind quietens… Who said meditation can’t be fun
