Climbing the Yoga ladder - what comes next?
In the words of my late teacher Maria Kirsten “What’s next? It’s not a one-handed handstand. It is sit down, be quiet sweetheart, and breathe.” She always knew how to say it - firm yet with love and cheek. Last weekend sadly I farewelled my beautiful teacher, as did Lennox Head community and thousands of Yogis whom studied under Maria (@yogaforgrownups) as a practitioner or a teacher in training. I realise even more now than ever her words, her voice, are so lovingly engrained in me as a teacher and I am forever grateful. She gave me so many ‘aha’ moments in my teacher training that led me to experience my true Yoga, enabling me to be the teacher I am today. Maria was not shy to say it how it is, nor expose herself, she loved pointing out the pink elephant in the room and I adored her for it.
Here she awakens her students to the modern misconception of how a Yogi ascends with the Eight Limbs. From the Yamas - how to behave with our environment and community, to the Niyamas how we reflect upon and treat ourselves, then the Asanas (poses) are for us to move, open and know our bodies…..but here’s where most consider the progression of Yoga as an accomplishment or pose challenge being the goal. As Maria points out the next step is to actually then be able to sit and breathe, the 4th limb is Pranayama - our manipulation and control of our life force. The remaining four limbs are the mastery of meditation leading to experiencing less suffering of Mind - more details on the Eight Limbs here in my blog Living Yoga ~ the ancient tools that provide relief from modern life stress.
Don’t get me wrong I still love the awesome upside down feels of a good handstand, a cartwheel on the beach and to flip into a back bend and feel my spine open and thrive. However, over the last ten years my Yoga Asana practice is simple, more about finding comfort in my body, checking in with it on the day, then sitting and breathing. That’s where the gold is at, this is where I have found my ease and flow and found a way to manage the rollercoaster of life and be more available to others.
I feel a lot of not-yet Yogis, those who may be tempted by the premises of Yoga to reduce stress and make you feel good, are unfortunately deterred by the impressive, perhaps unattainable positions and the way social media depicts Yoga as an extreme sport. At the same time a lot of long-time Yogis are potentially walking the treadmill of Asana after Asana and still waiting for the gifts to land, their life to transform, instead are merely getting a momentary taste, living off the short-lived fumes after a physical class, and often leaving without even a sniff of a truly blissed out and mindful Savasana!
What if we took the pressure off? That it’s not whether you can touch your toes, it’s not whether you ever make it to a handstand. If you can follow the breath in, then out…..then you are practising Yoga. Try doing it for a little longer each time, then try some ways to make your body feel comfortable so you can sit for longer, then have a play and explore how you breathe. Let’s build on that and see where that takes us. I am pretty sure you will find it as magic as I and billions of Yogis have. Well that is my dream anyhow.
How do you use Yoga to find comfort in your body - what’s your favourite practices?
Which meditations and breathwork practices have you used to help you find your Yoga?
I have listed below some of mine in getting comfort for sitting, in controlling the breath in Pranayama to lead into meditation. Here you will find my favourite podcast with Maria Kirsten discussing Yoga for Mental Health…not necessarily for ‘those people’ with mental health, but yours and my mental health, as in the whole purpose of Yoga. She is great - I think you will love it!
Yoga for me to sit and be comfortable;
Morning Limber OR Mini Limber these two 15min practices are THE most viewed on the Monthly Membership - perfect little roll out of bed and set up for comfort in seated breathwork / meditation.
Express Hippy Flow 15mins is great if energy bit stuck, feeling sluggish or very stiff rigid in the body and need to warm and move so sitting is much easier.
Morning Meditative 9 20mins a repetition in sun salutations to move and open the body in all directions. The purpose of a Hatha practice is so we can sit thereafter and breathe.
Yoga for when I sit and breathe;
Apana Meditation A Grounding Practice 10mins for working with downward moving energy (Apana) to calm and ground a busy overstimulated mind, nervous system. Great for anxiousness.
Prana Meditation An energising Practice <10mins for working with receiving and expanding with energy (Prana) to lift the spirits, invigorate and energise mind and body. Great for depression or heavy moods.
