Space & The Importance Of A Pause

This time of year can be very busy, with the lighter longer days maybe we cram more into our schedules? I love to work with the summer energy leaning into more standing and movement but still acknowledging the importance of rest… and listening to when people don’t want to stand up - they just need to be horizontal! We’ve been lucky with some outdoor classes again… will there be any more left in our summer?!

• A couple of things that led to this theme were something that I read (and I can’t remember where!) but it said “yoga begins with a pause” and it’s so right! Even though sometimes I begin with movement, really, the arrival into your yoga practice begins with a pause. The pause allows you to notice. Creating an opportunity for you to notice your breath or maybe the chaos in your mind. Whatever you notice, we have been encouraging space. Add space around it - whatever it is! In that space you can then gently guide your awareness back to your being, maybe back to your breath, or maybe to your visualisation….

• Visualisation - Colour of calm (of a cooling calm colour on those warmer days!) Making this your own by thinking of a colour that makes you feel at ease and adds that extra layer of calm to your meditation. May be your colour changes each week? I love to think about all the colours people are visualising in the room!

• The other thing that I thought of from the yoga philosophy perspective is a classic sutra from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali:

1.2- Yoga citta vrtti nirodah - Yoga is the stilling of the changing states of mind."

By adding space rather than pushing things away & creating resistance, you surrounding what's there with this spaciousness; to have a little pause of what's going on within - no matter how tiny.

• Chandra Bhedana (Left nostril) for the evening classes and Surya Bhedana (Right Nostril) for the morning. Chandra means moon and this is a more cooling energy whereas Surya means Sun in Sanskrit and this generates more heat, uplifting you for the day ahead. Mostly we practice these with our imagination rather that physically directing the breath with the hand on the nostrils - it still gives the same effects and I find it a little more relaxing to not have to hold your arm up.

• Ardha Chandrasana - half moon pose - we’ve been linking this pose into our week a in various ways; breaking down the pose, doing it using a chair and a belt, doing it kneeling (as pictured above) lots of different ways to experience the shape in our bodies. Using the moon again to bring the cooling quality into the summer season!

You can join me for weekly in-person classes in Comberbach and Northwich, and also from your home with my Gentle Mat & Chair live online classes. 

1-to-1 and Corporate classes are also available.