YOGA
“Yoga is a technology for arriving in this present moment. It is a means of waking up from our spiritual amnesia, so that we can remember all that we already know. It is a way of remembering our true nature, which is essentially joyful and peaceful.”
What is yoga?
The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root ‘yuj’, meaning ‘to yoke’ or ‘unite’. One way of thinking of yoga is as the practice of ‘uniting’ mind and body through the medium of the breath and movement. The practices of yoga take many forms. The physical practices with which we are most familiar in the West (postures and breath-work) are actually just one small part of a vast ancient science and philosophy. In the West we tend to choose the ‘doorway’ of the physical practices as they are the most accessible and beneficial to our lifestyles.
what is Vinyasa yoga?
Vinyasa essentially means breath synchronised movement and intelligent sequencing. Postures are linked by movements in such a way that the body is allowed to gradually open up at its own pace. The practise is about being curious and enjoying the journey rather than about reaching any particular destination.
What to Expect in a Class
I teach a slow flow Somatic Vinyasa class adapted to the students in front of me on the day. We begin slowly, working with breath and gentle warm-up movements to settle the mind and nervous system and prepare the body for stronger movements and poses. We build gradually to the stronger elements of practice before winding down and finishing with a guided relaxation. I encourage students to move beyond the idea of ‘stretching’ ‘tight’ muscles and towards a sense of allowing the body to release tension and resistance by developing integrated strength.
Principles of somatic yoga
-
Somatic Movement
The word Soma comes from the ancient Greek for ‘the living body’. So we can think of the Soma as the body infused with consciousness or life force (known as Prana in the Yoga tradition). Or as Thomas Hanna described it, ‘the body as perceived from within’. To do something somatically is to do it with full awareness of our unique sensory experiences in the moment. Somatic movement is a form of moving meditation in which we cultivate moment-to-moment sensory awareness of both our internal state (interception) and our felt relationship with the physical world around us (proprioception).
-
Functional Movement
In my classes we primarily explore functional movement (movements that are directly applicable to real-world situations), and integrated strength (the recognition that no one body part works in isolation from the whole). We explore poses and movements that help us cultivate the qualities of ease, strength, grace, yield, stability, springiness, pliability, buoyancy, playfulness, efficiency, fluidity and lightness.
-
core & pelvic floor awareness
In Somatic Movement we recognise that the pelvis is the powerhouse of the body around which everything else is arranged. When the pelvis is centred and balanced and pelvic floor has the ability to move fluidly between engaged and relaxed, there is a ripple effect throughout the rest of the body. My classes integrate my ongoing training in practices that promote healthy core and pelvic floor function.
-
Spirals & Waves
We work a lot with slow repetitive, circular, spiralling movements to lubricate the joints and allow the connective tissue (fascia) to release, hydrate and become pliable. These types of movements are deeply soothing for the nervous system. Think of it as giving yourself an internal massage. Slow movements enhance interoception - our awareness of the internal state of our body.
-
Breath
Yoga is essentially a breathing practice. We learn to slow the breath down and to explore how the breath is affected by moving into different shapes. The breath is a barometer for how much or how little effort we are engaging. We are always looking to find the balance of ease within effort.
-
Heartfulness
When we learn to truly listen to the body with compassion, to accept it as it is in the moment, to work with the body rather than against it we are inhabiting what the Buddhists call ‘metta’ or loving kindness. When we cultivate these feelings towards ourselves it is far easier to find them for others. In this way, the work we do on the mat has the potential to positively impact all of our relationships and daily interactions with the world around us.
“We don’t have a body: we are a body, one that is bodyful and breathful and heartful and mindful. From a scientific perspective, we are a bio-psycho-social-spiritual process. In other words, we are somas: a moving symphony of breathing, digesting, metabolising, expressing, thinking, feeling, acting and experiencing.”