Some time ago I wrote an article about Sthira (strength) and Sukham (ease), and the importance of finding the balance between these two qualities in yoga, and in life. This balance is not something we can find once and then retain. It can only be experienced if we can learn to observe our ever-changing circumstances closely, and also observe our responses to these changes, so we can see what is needed in any given situation. This is not always easy, and from time to time we may need to enlist the help of others to find the best way forward.

For some time now, I have been aware of the need to make a change towards a more gentle physical practice. There had been a distinct lack of ease within my body, and this flowed over into a sense of restlessness in other areas too. I think of my asana practice as a conversation with my body, and my body was yelling at me to do something different. Even off the mat it continued to remind me that I hadn’t been listening! As these messages became more difficult to ignore, I became aware of a sense of panic. I realised that I felt afraid of losing the physical strength my practice had given me, so I felt afraid to let go, even though it was obvious that something needed to change. I wasn’t able to see clearly what I needed to do to create a sense of ease, whilst preserving my strength.

It has been said that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. In my case, help was at hand in the form of a teacher training opportunity with the Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation (KHYF). For the first time ever, this comprehensive approach to teacher training was being offered in New Zealand, and as luck would have it, it was to be held in Wellington!

The teacher training began in March of this year. As I sat in a circle with my new sangha, I felt a sense of excitement. I also felt a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to be starting on a journey in which someone else would guide me. This support felt like something into which I could already begin to soften.

The approach of the lineage on which this programme is founded, ascribes equal importance to all the tools of yoga, including posture practice, breath awareness, meditation, dietary and lifestyle recommendations based on Ayurvedic principles, chanting, visualisation, mudras, and guided self-inquiry. The wisdom of Patanjali’s yoga sutras is woven though the teachings, emphasising the need for a personal approach to practice, even in a group setting.

As we approach the end of the first year of the training, I am happy to say that I have been able to make a gradual shift towards finding ease in my body, and consequently, I feel more relaxed about letting go of some of the physically demanding aspects of my asana practice. It’s possible that I will be able to reintroduce them at some point, but then again, perhaps they have served their purpose.

I have found the chanting to be of particular interest, as it seems to have the most profound effect on my entire being. Out of all the practices we have been exploring, this has been the most illuminating to me. Like other aspects of the practice, it is a diagnostic tool as well as a remedy for the tension it reveals. Our voice can show us so much about where we hold tension, and as we explore ways to free our voice, we realign ourselves so that sound can travel through us.

My body has delighted in the nourishing effects of the gentle movement sequences that have been prescribed for me by my mentor. She assured me from the start that these gentle movements would eventually create more strength than the strong practice I was doing before, which was actually causing me to feel more fragile. What I have discovered is that this strength goes much deeper than the physical layer. Like the chanting, it seems to be finding it’s way into other aspects of my being as well.

I am beginning to see that what is being created through this practice is more space. You may recall that the word sukha, which means ease, literally translates as ‘more space’. The gentle movement patterns help to bring about a softening of habitual tensions. The space this creates in the physical body allows energy to flow to areas of stagnation or injury, creating an opportunity for the body to heal itself. As the tissues receive this healing energy, strength is created from within. This inner strength allows us to relax, knowing that we have the resources to take care of ourselves.

More space in the breath means a more complete inhalation and exhalation, and a balanced flow of energy throughout the body. More space at the level of the mind brings clarity of thought, and actions based on calm consideration rather than a feeling of urgency. More space in the heart means we can develop a wider perspective on our emotions. We can acknowledge them fully and find compassion for ourselves in difficult circumstances, but also celebrate joy and connection without fearing their loss.

It seems that this year has been a difficult year for many of us. I believe I am not the only one who has struggled to find a sense of balance in the midst of much change and emotional upheaval in 2010. I am now looking forward to deepening my understanding of the various tools of yoga as I embark on the rest of this teacher training. It is said that there is nothing more certain than change, so it seems like a good idea to develop the skills we need to help us cope with uncertainty.

I would like to invite you to join me as we explore some gentle movement sequences, breath awareness, mudras, mantra, meditation and relaxation techniques in a four week course entitled ‘Gentle Yoga – Finding Ease’.

This course is open to beginners as well as more experienced practitioners. It will benefit those who are looking for a change of pace in their practice, as well as those who are recovering from illness or injury.

The first session starts on Thursday the 18^th of November, at 5:45pm. The details can be found on our events page. I look forward to seeing you there.

Om shanti.

~ Lynda Miers-Henneveld.

The part of purging that I’ve never heard anyone talk about is the re-experiencing that happens in the final letting go. I myself have never really gone through the grief associated with letting go until recently because grieving has always seemed terrifying to me. I got quite skilled at skipping through the mourning period and just moving on. Through the practice of yoga, I am becoming braver and more willing to feel each emotion fully. I am learning that the self-compassion I’ve developed through my yoga practice is the key to allowing the grief to move through me so that I can truly move on.

I’m moving house at the end of this week and preparing for that move has crystallised this realisation. Given that I’m headed to a smaller place, I’ve been combing through my possessions, culling rather extensively. I’m not a hoarder by any stretch at all. When I moved to New Zealand (for the second time) six years ago, I only brought suitcases with me. Enduring two overseas moves has taught me that most “stuff” is more trouble than it’s worth to me.

Theoretically this downsizing shouldn’t be laborious. The problem is that I feel I’ve only kept things that are meaningful or useful. It is therefore emotional and exhausting, trying to decide what goes and what stays. A lot has happened in the last six years of my life, much of which I’ve not completely processed. A shortlist includes:

• I left the corporate world.
• I started practicing and teaching yoga.
• I co-opened a yoga studio that quickly morphed into a full-blown wellness centre (you may be familiar with it).
• My mother died.
• My father became non-verbal, was diagnosed with a rare form of dementia and was placed in a home.
• As his only child, I became the power of attorney over my father’s affairs and have had to make tough decisions, including the one to sell our family summer home.
• My two goddaughters have grown up. Without me.
• My oldest friend had two children. We always knew one of us would.
• I left my marriage – a relationship that spanned fourteen amazing, formative years.
• I started a new relationship. And ended it. And started it again. And ended it. And started it again. And ended it. And started it again. (you get the idea…)

The artefacts I have been combing through and evaluating span those six years and all of the associated memories. Everything I see, touch and sometimes even smell brings back a feeling, an emotion, a remembrance. Some of them are pleasant, some of them are not. I can see all my precious fears, former beliefs and fervent dreams welling up in a random procession precipitated by this exercise.

I am attempting to stay soft throughout the process, to allow myself to fully experience the grief so that it can move through me and I can move on. In deciding what to keep and what to let go of  while staying fully present to the whole experience, I am developing more compassion for myself.

The practice of yoga also invites us into a process of letting go. Each time we come to our mats to move our bodies we move muscles, bones, fluids and energy. In so doing, we gain access to the memories we’ve stored in our tissues.  Sometimes we’ve stored those memories in a way that holds us back from fully being able to experience the joy of being embodied. We feel constricted or tight or in pain. A great way to release it is to shift the subtle energy of the body that we gain access to through the various practices of yoga.

I believe that yoga and the experience of this subtle, gradual shifting of energy in my body over time have helped me to develop the capacity to face the grieving process more fully than I ever have in my life.  There have been moments during yoga practices where I’ve felt confronted, frightened and confused. By staying present to my breath and aware of the sensations in my body, I was able to successfully navigate those moments.

Now, as I am faced with flashes of overwhelm while sifting through my memories, it is possible for me to draw on the experience of navigating challenges in the safety of my mat. I have my wee meltdowns from time to time. I whine, I cry, I complain and when I feel the urge to run away, that is my cue to stop and breathe. And eventually I remember that all of this clearing out is creating the space for a new phase of life to emerge . It is a necessary part of the natural life cycle.

~Kelly Fisher

Marianne, Nick and Kelly

Those of you who have been waiting to hear about when the next Yoga in Action: Off the Mat will run, wait no more!. Every Sunday in November, Marianne Elliott, Nick Potter and Kelly will be running workshops to help you find ways to”Embody Your Purpose”.

Yoga in Action trainings use the power of yoga to help you become more effective and sustainable leaders in your community. We use the tools of yoga to embody your purpose through self-exploration and transformation, the development of communication and leadership skills, all the way to planning and taking action.

In honour of spring and inspired by a conversation with Auckland yogini Karla Brodie, as well as my study of tantric philosophy, I am reconnecting with my own internal experience of potentiality. I am delving deeper into the idea of connecting with my natural inner buoyancy as a way to allow the poses to emerge from the inside out, to breathe, to live, to be animated with my unique expression of prana – life force. Consciously tapping into the water element in my body has been crucial to that exploration.

Water is a powerful element. It changes form, depending on the temperature of its surroundings, without changing its composition. It changes attitudes – from calm and gentle to wild and raging and everything in between. It gets into small spaces, cleans them out and opens up more room for itself and other things to flow. It patiently rubs up against rock over centuries to create entirely new forms. It blasts through barriers to destroy existing formations in a heartbeat. Water can soothe and it can destroy. It is responsive and potent.

Being that adult humans are comprised of about 70-90% water, the ability to connect with our fluid nature helps us connect with the life force and the resilience that are our birthright. Within many studies of ancient and modern philosophies, water is seen as the element that nourishes, purifies and heals. Water carries nutrients, vibration and subtle information to every cell of our bodies. We can cultivate healing in our bodies by opening to the wave movement that already exists internally. The modern science of quantum physics and the ancient art of yoga both tell us that wave motion is the underlying movement of all creation. Our entire being experiences more ease when we step into the flow of wave motion, rather than resisting it with rigidity and overemphasis on outer form.

In my practice, I’ve been experiencing a remembrance of the power available to me when I balance creating the structure of a posture with allowing my body to express itself from the inside out. There is the potential to channel so much energy, and thereby tap into so much potential, by creating good physical alignment. The power, however, seems to be subdued if I become overly concerned with the outer form and alignment of a pose. There is no authenticity or life visible when I rigidly perform perfect postures. In contrast, when I use what I know about alignment to set my foundation intelligently and then allow myself to experience that internal current of fluidity, the pose becomes a joyous expression of who I am and how I am at a given moment. It becomes a jubilant flow of breath and body that nourishes my muscles, joints and organs and also buoys my spirit and soothes my mind.

In my life, although I’ve still got quite a lot to learn, I’ve been experiencing a greater ease in my internal response to challenging situations by consciously cultivating this self-liquefaction. When I am clear on my boundaries and needs, the potential to be happy, safe and effective is increased. I thwart myself and my relationships with others, however, if I become too unyielding or demanding. In contrast, when I know my needs and limits but stay open to possibilities, my heart and mind stay more buoyant and responsive. I become a surfer of life’s waves, rather than a victim of them.

In my classes this week, we will be reconnecting more consciously with this fluid element, inviting more ease in the organs and joints. The hips and lower back will derive particular benefit from this type of practice. The water element is associated with the sacral chakra. The sacral chakra governs these areas of our bodies as well as our emotions and our sexuality. Learning to flow on the yoga mat can free up all sorts of possibilities in the relationships in our lives as well as in our bodies.

This spring, I invite you to explore your own potential by reconnecting with the flow of your body, breath and mind. Whether you do that on a yoga mat, on the dance floor or in the ocean, you will experience the joy that comes with riding the waves. I hope to see you in the flow soon!

~Kelly Fisher