The theme for my group yoga classes this term is GROUNDING & EARTHING.
When the first lockdown came I wasn’t sure what to do - about anything! In terms of teaching Yoga it was a steep learning curve taking classes and 1:1 yoga therapy online, cancelling some of my work and being invited to develop and deliver new things for a consultancy.
When I was closing the Wellbeing Centre down in late March I came across a 35cmx35cm brown pamphlet with a picture of TKV Desikachar on the front - it was a tribute to him. Underneath the photo was this quote by Krisnamacharya, Desikachar’s father, known as the ‘Father of Modern Yoga’:
“Teach what is inside you, not as it applies to you, to yourself, but as it applies to the other.”
It was a profound moment. I knew this, but realised I wasn’t always practising it. The word NIRODHA came to me - stillness - and I used this as my theme for 4 months until we emerged from the lockdown and moved onto Opening from the Heart.
I have continued to remind myself of this quote, even though for the life of me I cannot find that brown pamphlet (I never lose anything), and I am really focussing on how GROUNDING & EARTHING can help my students in this third lockdown.
We are spending time in class connecting to earth and noticing how quickly taking our attention to the feet takes us out of heads. Try it - it’s quite amazing. Stand up now, with your feet a few centimetres apart, relax your body (make sure you are not pulling your knees up and back), settle your breath and keep your mind’s attention in your feet. Close your eyes if you can. When the mind shoots off just gently bring it back to FEET!
It is said that human beings are the least grounded of all animals - not really a surprise, is it?
So, the breathing, posture work and chanting is aimed at rooting us downwards, working with apāna vāyu - our downward moving energy - to bring about a feeling of stability and structure.
It’s that sense of stability and structure that I sense many of my students need right now. And although I heed Desikachar’s advice – SO DO I! I would love to know what you think? You can find lots of other lovely Yoga quotes from Desikachar’s father, Krisnamacharya
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