YOGA IS TRANSFORMATION THROUGH CONNECTION

As I sit back and reflect on the weekend I have found myself thinking about connection and how important it is. They say it takes a village to raise a child, yes this is true, but adults need their tribe too. Knowing that you are not alone can make the difference between feeling isolated and connected.

As humans we are natural story tellers and yet we do not share our stories nearly enough, why is that? Is it because we live in a culture where to be accepted matters more than to be honest about how we really feel? For me personally the times when I have held back from sharing my story have always come from a sense of shame, a sense that perhaps I was just not good enough, clever enough, strong enough and yet the stories that need to be told stay there, making home in the darkened spaces of the body causing contraction and pain. These unspoken stories linger, they tell us that we are not worthy, they make us feel disconnected and lonely and over time they may become triggers for anxiety and depression.

The reality is all we wish for is to feel a sense of belonging and love, to know that were we to pluck up the courage to share our story that we would be listened to and heard and conversely to know that we can stay open to other people’s stories without moving into blame and judgement. We all wish to have the strength to be honest about what it is we want in our lives, to be able to say yes to the stuff that lights us up and no to the stuff that drains us. We all wish to truly know that we are in it together, for our bodies to be able to relax into this knowledge in order to heal.

I heard someone say the other day that “Yoga is an excuse to be in the same room together” and I would agree wholeheartedly, yoga is about relationships; to the body, to the breath and to the self. I don’t even think that the “room” needs to be a literal physical thing, after all my practice is generally done on my own, on my roof and yet when I practice I am able to think about all the other people who are practicing across the globe the same time as me, I can feel connected to other people by simply being in savasana at the same time as so many others. Yoga is my tribe, so too are my friends and my community on Lamma – checking in with my tribe makes me feel connected to myself as through these social, emotional and spiritual connections, I simply am able to be more honest and authentic which in turn enables me to love and accept myself just a little bit more.

So whilst I maybe tired after a weekend of junks, lunches and long conversations I am content, content in the knowledge that I am worthy despite all my imperfections and that I am loved by my tribe.

See you all on the mat folks – follow the link here for the schedule of classes this week. All current programmes are full but new dates will be announced soon.

In peace