Yoga is a practice that helps us to reconnect with our true nature, to remember the joy and light and beauty that we all possess. Yes, even YOU. The physical part of the practice uses the body, the breath and movement as a means to help us shift our internal experience of the world and ourselves for the better.

Generally speaking, movement for the sheer joy of it can facilitate our reconnection with abundant inner freedom. Somehow, along life’s journey, we gather “stuff” that clouds our ability to connect with our internal light and liberty.

In his book Yoga and the Quest for the True Self, Stephen Cope says:

In the yogic view, the energy of trauma, of contraction, of resistance to life, of holding on, is understood to penetrate deeper than the neuromuscular systems… it penetrates into the subtle energy body, the pranamayakosha, where it is finally held… These unconsciously held energy knots are called samskara.

We all carry our history with us in our physical bodies, minds and even at the deepest energetic level of our spirits. In order to shift these deep holding patterns, we must move the body and the energy in the body. When we practice yoga asana, some of our samskaras gradually begin to dissolve or transform. The fantastic thing about yoga asana is all we need to do is stay present and breathe. This incredibly sophisticated, yet simple, practice will do the rest.

One thing I’ve noticed however is that sometimes we can make our yoga extremely intellectual in the pursuit of the perfect alignment or technique. I am as guilty as anyone of using my head to try to get to places that only my heart or my spirit can take me. Sometimes it’s just easier to default to thinking hard about the physical practice than to fully go into the primal, revitalising understanding it affords. Freedom can feel like a scary thing if you’ve spent your whole life bound by your ideas and holding patterns. But a whole new level of the utter richness of yoga can be found past the ideas about it. The richness comes from the experience of it. And sometimes, you have to get out of your head to appreciate yoga fully.

I spent years working in the corporate world, spending all day using my head and then “unwinding” in the evening by doing a very intelligent workout at the gym. By Friday, I was invariably stiff, sore and cranky. Friday night was always dancing night though and by Saturday morning, my body felt pain free and my spirit felt cleansed. I hadn’t thought at all about how I should dance or what the benefits were, I simply moved the way that my body wanted to move in response to the music. It was utterly healing and rejuvenating!

When I started the practice of yoga, after relaxation pose, I would end up feeling a similar way – comfortable in my body and free in my mind. Putting myself into healing postures and relishing the joy of it had profoundly healing and transformative effects on my entire being. Somewhere along the way though, I got caught up in gathering knowledge about the practice and for a little while, I ended up overriding my enjoyment of it. Surprise, surprise, I ended up injured and practice began to feel like a chore, rather than like a gift.

It wasn’t until I rediscovered the sheer joy of moving my body the way it loves to be moved that I began to feel free again. These days, when I start to feel sore or like I’m heading towards injury, it’s a sure sign to me that I’ve gone too far into my head and I’m missing out on all of the best bits of yoga. At those times, I put on some music and flow through a practice, honouring how my body feels and not thinking about how I “should” perform the postures. Invariably, I am fortunate enough to have a life-affirming intuitive remembrance of why it’s great to be me, in this body, at this time and away from all my ideas about myself or the world. I simply feel good because I’ve shifted something at a deep energetic level using tools I can only access if I allow myself to be unbound by my mind.

So I invite you to go into your next practice or your next class with us with an open heart and mind and allow your body to move in the way that it feels good to move. Injury and pain from a yoga practice only happen when we dishonour our intuitive knowing and when we impose our will onto the body or allow someone else to impose theirs. While it’s wonderful to use your intelligence as you practice yoga, it’s even better to balance the use of that intelligence with a deep connection to the wisdom of your body and your soul. Your entire being will thank you for it!

Check out our timetable and book a class today!

~Kelly Fisher

It's all coming together nicely!

If you’ve picked up a schedule lately or taken a peek at the most recent newsletter then you’re likely to have seen some exciting additions to the Yoga Unlimited timetable. Yoga Sangha has joined our sangha – that is to say, it has joined our community.

Sangha is a Buddhist term that originally referred to a group of monks. We now use this term to describe a community of like minded individuals who support and encourage one another. At Yoga Unlimited it has been our great pleasure to provide the context and the space in which our yoga sangha has been able grow. We also delight in the connections we have forged with the greater Wellington yoga & meditation community.

Marianne Elliot runs Yoga Sangha, which has been operating in Wellington since 2008. Her philosophy is that  “it’s all about the people!”, and therefore she runs her classes on a seva (or pay-what-you-can) basis. Because of this, and because her classes have been held at community centres, she has been able to offer yoga to a group of people who might not otherwise attend yoga classes. Marianne has also been a treasured member of the Yoga Unlimited community, both as a student and more recently as a teacher. She shares our common desire to bring yoga to all those who wish to explore it.

From June 18th, we welcome Yoga Sangha and its students to the Yoga Unlimited studio. We hope to retain the community centre feel of these classes while providing all the comforts of a yoga studio. You too, are welcome to attend these seva classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 7:30 to 8:45 and on Friday evenings from 5:30 to 6:45. The only difference between these classes and a typical YU class, is that they will remain ‘pay-what-you-can’ or seva classes. Because of this, only cash will be accepted. Please note that you won’t be able to pay for Yoga Sangha classes by eftpos or Yoga Unlimited class passes.

Community supports us in our practice. To deepen our awareness of mind, body, heart and spirit, and to share that experience with others, is such a joy. Not only can we develop friendships with your fellow yogis, but our combined explorations help us all to develop our collective understanding of the human condition.

In order to make it easier to stay connected, we are also bolstering our online community! YU has a brand new face on Facebook! We hope that next time you log on, you will find your way into our digital sangha and add a comment or two to let us know you’re there.

Consider the value of sangha as you go about your day. Perhaps you’ll find gratitude for the support it provides. Consider also what your contribution to your sangha means to others. As Marianne says: “It’s all about the people.” We look forward to seeing you all at the studio soon.

~ Article by Jessica Burylo and Lynda Miers-Henneveld.

Amy loves having her photo taken!

Thank you all so much for your feedback. We love how open you are with your ideas and suggestions. We are in business, first and foremost, to serve and so when you tell us that you want something we love to be able to accomodate your requests.

One of the messages we’ve been getting loud and clear for a while now is that you want more intermediate classes. Starting next Friday, June 18 at 12:30, your wishes are being fulfilled. Amy will be teaching a Friday Fire lunchtime yoga session that will offer a little more challenge so that you can kick off your weekend on a high note!

For those who can’t make it during the day and who want a little longer session, I will be offering a four week Intermediate Yoga Course on the first four Thursday nights in July from 5:45-7:15pm.

What does it take to be considered an “Intermediate Yogi”? Does it mean you have to be able to put your foot behind your head? Does it mean you can stand on your hands for ten minutes? Does it mean you can stand on your hands with your foot behind your head? Not at all!

In our books, an “Intermediate Yogi” is someone who has been practicing yoga regularly (minimum two to three times per week) for at least six months and who has developed greater awareness and ability to focus inwardly. Yes, the physical postures in the Intermediate classes will most likely be held a little longer or be a little more challenging than those in the regular classes so a certain level of physical yoga fitness is required. Inflated egos and party tricks are not the point though. More important than the physical prowess, is the ability to tune into your own body, mind and breath and to use wisdom to choose the most appropriate course of action in a given moment throughout the class.

If you come to the intermediate sessions, you should expect to be challenged on many levels. You may encounter new postures or practices and not all of them may come easily to you. The intermediate sessions will offer you the opportunity to mindfully explore your growing edge in a safe, supportive environment. It doesn’t matter to us if you master all the techniques – just that you deepen your own sensitivity and awareness while staying present. We will have fun together and encourage each other to emobdy the highest expression of ourselves.

Om Namah Shivaya! (my favorite translation of this is: I bow to all that I am and have the potential to express.)

~ Kelly Fisher