Fearless Stability

 

We come to the mat for many reasons but mostly because we feel good from doing the practice – either during, after or both. The asanas reveal to us the state of the vehicle and demonstrate for the mind what we are lacking and what we are capable of. I love this practice, for this reason, to see where I am, to witness what I can. To watch my body shake or be stable in the poses, to have an aversion or be excited and witness both experiences, turning toward what I have an aversion to (reluctantly), and I explore more joy in what I feel excited about. I love the sensation of accomplishing a certain pose and to see myself falling into a joint and lift up out of the joint and gain strength from my heart to the muscle. I love falling out of a pose and re-entering it with a different perspective. 

 

My dharma talks this week in our Livestream classes was on 

finding stability in the asanas (pose(s)) versus the tendency of gripping and clenching. 

To gain the most benefit of the asana instead of stress in the pose to ‘get through it.’ 

To hug the muscles of the bones instead of clench. 

To watch with mindful inner eyes when the tendency of fear enters and engages with stability instead of clenching.

To breathe into the pose instead of holding the breath. 

To embrace the pose with strength and flexibility instead of compressing the bones and instead of holding back from its possible depth. 

In other words, to lean into the pose for its full benefit, to use what we have and empower that which we may not know or trust yet by tapping into an internal will and strength. 

To be Stable. 

 

Where there is stress and tightness due to fear of the unknown elicits more fear and stress in the body, which can cause the very thing we were working to protect. 

To be Fearless.

 

I then used this physical metaphor, asana, and pranayama (breathwork) practice to weave the emotional experience of fear, clenching, grasping, and aversion. To turn toward the emotional body just as we had the challenge asanas, to lean into it the feeling of fear, grasping or aversion and just notice it, then to find the harnessed inner personal power and mental control just as we had been doing with the body in the asanas. 

To watch the breath mindfully diminishes what is not real, untrue, or uncontrollable. 

To Control the Mind 

 

 

These times of trying to stay safe with the pandemic, witnessing social and racial unrest, economic and political uncertainty, not to mention personal matters of the heart and mind, can create fear. I want to remind you that you are not alone but also to not hold it in your mind or in your body. During this time of the season (Fall) and the continued state of the virus, especially, your immune system needs to be at its strongest; please know that fear can weaken and the immune system. The emotion of fear is meant only to survive in an instant when there is a true “tiger at your door” and not a long-lasting way of life from a thought or previous trauma. This is easy to say and harder to accomplish when you feel alone in the emotion. So… I’ve made a breathing, affirmation and 3 pose asana practice for you here:

 

Im are rooting for you to feel safe and have Fearless Stability in your mind and body. Remember what is in your mind is reflected in your body and vice versa. You are Safe. The more this mantra becomes vibrated through your body and into your mind, the more you will feel it and seek it if for some reason you are not safe where you are or what you are doing.

 

We need each other. 

One way we can be are here for you is through our Livestream and On-demand classes.

We need this practice. 

The path and practice of yoga increases your sure-footed, sure-mindfulness, and increases your immune function and response.

You are Safe. 

It is okay for you to feel your breath move through you and be fearless.

 

Here’s to yoga. 

 Here’s to you.

We’re in this together.

 

 

Yoga Practice as a Prayer

My husband and myself attend Black Mountain Presbyterian Church in our home town – Just happens to be across the street from our yoga studio, Black Mountain Yoga and our clinic, Rachman Clinic. It’s a progressive and very mindful congregation and we love the community and communion of going deeper with God/spirit/higher Self… Many names, for some of us the same thing.

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The Whisper

Have you heard yours lately? I occasionally get to enjoy Oprah Winfrey and the beloveds she chooses to interview either on Master Class or my favorite, Super Soul Sunday. Recently I heard an interview of her, by her (sounds odd, but it was a Master Class on Oprah herself). She shared this word “whisper” to refer to Spirit communicating to her. This spoke to me because I love the whispers. I know I am not aligned when the whisper has faded or I am not hearing it as clearly as usual.

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Touch

Welcome to this YogaTouchMethod blog. I am excited to share my yoga journey, my yoga knowledge, and my yoga discoveries with you! I hope that you will also share your experiences with yoga and life, and especially with YogaTouchMethod, if you haven’t yet read the book and should decide to try some of the wonderful techniques described therein – I want to hear how it went and any feedback you’d like to share.

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Healthy Lunch for Everyone!

I am no expert on food, but I am an expert on what makes me feel good. I have perfected the art of a great lunch, and I want to share with you how simple it can be. First of all, you won’t need an oven, microwave or stove. Just a knife. You will have variety, and you can mix and match depending on your mood. At the core of this lunch is color. In fact, if you think about eating and diet as a whole, having a colorful, varied diet is extremely important. The more richly colored the vegetable, the more nutrients are packed into it.

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