Yoga
Namaste all,
Yoga as usual on Monday at 11.15a.m. continuing our work on the Virabhadrasana (Warrior) series to build concentration, willpower, strength, and focus.
Have you noticed the evenings are now becoming brighter?
The Spring has Sprung
As the spring is fast approaching and the advent of lighter evenings and mornings, we begin to feel the inevitable pull of wanting to feel healthier and have more energy. The natural growth of nature and longer hours of daylight encourage us to do the same and increase our energy levels and wake up from the winter sleep!
This is a natural song for all of us as Shakespeare wrote:
“The earth has music for those who listen.”
And of course, when we hear that music we want to dance, have healthy food on the menu, start exercise, walking in nature, feel energised, smile, laugh, all the signs of life waking again to a different beat, to a different tune, to a different dance.
More often though we begin to berate the little extra weight we may have gained, the sluggishness we feel, the need for the chocolate and sugar rush but really we should take notice of those mind comments and not to listen to them as truth but to notice what we are doing mindlessly. We are sabotaging ourselves and our natural awakening and as those voices grow louder we become easily persuaded to believe what is just a thought!
“Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.“ Rumi
Therefore, in the words of Thich Nhat Hanh begin with the breath and with the breath begin to feel like a human flower, fresh!
“Breathing in I feel like a human flower. Breathing out, I feel fresh.”
So, let us begin to breath, to allow the natural call, to be awake and happy let all of this come through being mindful of our thoughts which will only be a driving force if we allow our thoughts free rein and act on them rather than seeing them as they really are – just thoughts. Through connecting to the breath and perhaps using a mantra we can learn to make an informed choice about where we would like to be driving this spring rather than being driven!
“In mindfulness one is not only restful and happy, but alert and awake.“ Thich Nhat Hanh
So, let us begin to listen, watch, BREATHE, and then make informed choices rather than knee jerk reactions.
Let us listen from the INSIDE and let that listening guide the outer experience.
Happy Spring Time
Namaste
Sue x