I took the end of summer off from blogging to finalize the sale of my house, move twice in three weeks and get settled in my new space and find a new routine in my new surroundings. It was a daunting experience and the one constant through all of it was yoga. I never stopped teaching during that time period thankfully, it was the one thing that helped me to keep at least one foot on the ground when I was feeling like I would fly away because I was untethered.
Now we are in September that time of transition from summer to fall, from the lazy days of summer into the back to school mode. Even if you aren't still in school thoughts turn to cooler days and nights, sweaters, shoes versus flip flops and just what new things to add to the wardrobe for fall and winter. It is also a time where I focus in my life and my yoga classes on feeling rooted and grounded into the earth's energy. Feeling the rhythm of the earth changing as my own rhythm slows down to match it. My yoga practice changes a little as well as my daily walks.
As I think about the word transition in both the seasons and my life I decided to look up the word in the Merriam Webster dictionary. Transition: 1. a: a passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another. b: a movement, development, or evolution from one stage, or style to another. 2. a: a musical modulation. b: a musical passage leading from one section of a piece to another. 3. an abrupt change in energy state or level.
I like the musical part in #2 and the abrupt change in energy state or level is interesting as well. I also love these descriptive words: passage, movement, development, evolution, modulation. Life is always in transition, you get somewhere and there is change, passage, movement, development, evolution and modulation. Being flexible like a tree in the wind, adaptable like a chameleon and able to roll with the punches as my mother always said is necessary to live life fully and openly and with joy.
We have the choice to fight transition. Trust me I am a world class fighter, over achiever, hyper extender and all around resister at times in my life. The older I get the more I can relax into the transitions, movement, passages, developments, evolutions and modulations. This ability however came only after I have learned the hard way what fighting and resisting brings with it. I have stepped in many holes over the years, sometimes the same ones over and over to learn whatever it was I was supposed to learn at the time. In the last 2 plus years I have had to learn more than I ever wanted to and the biggest one was not resisting transition, well with a big side helping of patience...
Looking back now over the expanse of time behind me I can say this, it was hard as hell, I struggled more days than I want to really think about. I was at times filled with fear and worry, doubt and uncertainty. I had help along the way from many wonderful people in my life who each brought something to me just when and how I needed it. I also always had yoga, every single day, whether I was on my mat or not. I am a student of yoga, have been for 25 years. I am a teacher of yoga, have been for 9 years. I teach because I have a desire to bring the benefits of yoga to as many who wish to join me on the journey and better their lives with yoga. I have a student who tells me a class with me is like a great stretch and a therapy session all in one. I teach from what I know, I teach from my heart and I want every person who does yoga with me either in person, via my DVD or from my YouTube channel to walk away feeling better than when they started. I am not perfect as a student of yoga, I can't do every pose or fold myself into some of those pretzel positions. Well I could try but I wouldn't walk for days after and who wants to not be able to walk. I teach about transitions from breath, to movement and back to relaxation. I offer up a yoga that allows people to find success, their own success in the space they are in that moment.
All of those things and so many more from yoga are what helped me make the very big transition over a spans of time. I have to say looking back that though it was hard I managed to in spite of my habit of resistance move through, evolve, develop, change and move (in the literal and figurative sense). I am responsible for getting here and so grateful to be right where I am today. I know that I can adapt, be flexible and stay connected even only by one little toe and passage will happen and I will find the grounded space I need.
What is something that you are resisting right now in your life? Are you fearful, uneasy, worried etc because you feel a lack of control? Would releasing a little bit of the control give you some ease? What things do you do for yourself to give yourself space to relax and feel grounded, connected to your heart and it's deepest desire for you in this moment? When was the last time you sat down and asked yourself any of the above?
Take a few moments and sit in a simple cross legged pose, up on a blanket will give your hips a lift to open and release a little. Bring your palms to meet at your heart, take a deep inhale and exhaling close your eyes. As you continue to breathe, relax your belly, let your breath deepen and expand. Relax your face and jaw, release your shoulders down your spine and let you weight melt down into your sit bones. Now imagine growing roots from your sit bones, roots like a tree has roots, down into the earth, feeling that connection into the earth's energy. Every inhale drawing that energy up through the roots and up your spine. Relax your heart open with every exhale, dropping down into your heart center, the deepest part of your heart. Let something float up for your that is your heart's desire in this moment, it doesn't have to be something big. Let it come up for you and don't worry about how to make it happen just think about what it looks like to be there in that space, how it feels, smells, tastes. Breathe it in deeply. Now think about what is one thing you can do in the next 24 hours to bring your heart's desire forward in your life. Take a deep inhale, exhale and let it go, trusting that your heart has all the answers that you need in this life. Slowly open your eyes and continue to breathe deeply for a few more moments.
Namaste,
Sherry
