Are you one of the many tend to carry your tension in the shoulders? They hunch up towards the ears a little when we feel rushed, anxious, busy or stressed. They can do the same when we are met with feelings of fear, guilt or shame. Conversely they can droop forward and round down when we feel dull, depressed, sad or lethargic.

These feelings, thoughts, and life situations present themselves to us all the time. As the Buddhists wisely tell us, life is suffering. Our job is not to place further suffering on the difficulties we already face, but instead to accept the moment and soften into it. We practice acceptance of what is and we add on to that an element of compassion, of softness, of consciously relaxing at will, regardless of the external circumstances.

In Mindfulness they tell us the key to being present and minimising this suffering is to feel what we are feeling in the body. How appropriate, then, for us to practice tuning into the sensations in the shoulder area and using that awareness to move from the busy, noisy, thoughts of the mind to the mode of simply being. Being with what is.

The shoulder joint is one of the most interesting and complex in terms of mobility and range of motion. In yoga we explore this; we take the shoulder joint through it’s full range of motion to explore freedom of movement and to notice the sensations when we feel a little stuck. By breathing, moving gently and consciously relaxing the tension naturally melts a little. It feels good. When we are feeling, we are practising mindfulness; mind and body get to relax.

We don’t even have to be on the yoga mat to practice our ability to relax the shoulders and soften at will. Try it now, on an inhale lift your shoulders up towards your ears and on an exhale allow them to soften and fall. Try that three times. Make your exhales big and deep and noisy if you’d like - the out-breath is releasing.

On the yoga mat we have a multitude of ways to get deep into those complex muscles that support this incredible joint. Eagle pose, cow face pose, even a simple sun salutation. “Binding” where we take the hands together to get extra leverage to really stretch out can happen in many creative poses. In a well sequenced yoga class the muscles gradually get looser and looser, warmer and softer, tension naturally melts.

The life changing skill happens when we really pay attention to these feelings and we fine-tune our ability to turn the attention to sensation in the body - we notice. That is our moment of mindfulness. In noticing on the yoga mat we develop the skill of noticing in life. In learning to relax the shoulders on the yoga mat we learn to relax in life, consciously relaxing at will, regardless of the external circumstances.

Come to yoga to change your body, come to yoga to change your mind, come to yoga to change your life!

Next week on the mat we delve deep into the shoulder area. Join us Tuesday and Thursday, 25th and 27th August, 1-2pm. Recordings of both classes are available to you for one week. Maybe this is your time to explore daily practice?

Following this I’m rolling out a focused programme for us for the four weeks of September: Intention.

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Just two weeks of classes in August; an opportunity to go deeper into awareness of your own posture as you move on your yoga mat, deeper into awareness of your posture as you move through your life.

Good posture was there for all of us as children, our job in August is to notice the patterns of tension and stiffness in our bodies which take us away from the natural feeling of moving with ease in a body that is well aligned. When we are moving in optimal alignment it feels right, we move freely. The great thing is that each one of us have our own unique best pattern of alignment, you move in a way that feels good for you.

I’ll guide you through discovering the patterns of movement that tend to suit most of us best, you will fine-tune your awareness and learn to relax muscles that are tight and strengthen muscles that support your good posture.

Note, just 2 weeks of live classes in August, no yoga Tuesday 4th, Thursday 6th, Tuesday 18th, Thursday 20th. (Recordings of yoga classes will be available for you.)

Each class is a complete range of motion, hatha yoga class with a particular focus in each class on quietening the mind, and developing progressive learning.

Week 1: Head, neck and spine: perfect your posture! August 11 and 13th. (One week break follows, recordings available.)

Week 2: Soften your shoulders; ease and relaxed movement. August 25th and 27th .

“By cultivating strength without rigidity and relaxation without collapse in our yoga poses we are training our bodies, and our minds, to remain awake and yet calm, regardless of the external circumstances.” Jason Crandell.

Please sign up for the entire month by selecting two class passes here, you’ll also have access to four class recordings for our weeks off. To join us for one week select one class pass here.

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Preceded by yoga you get an opportunity to bury your feet into the soft supportive earth gently holding you. You tune into your yoga alignment which promotes ease of movement and good posture. You can wake up the senses and tune into the subtle sensations of the inner body, the sensations associated with connecting and relaxing. Wide awake, fully aware, relaxed and curious you begin your forest bathing immersion.

Following the experience you get to reconnect with your yoga. Standing tall and with dignity, like the trees, you get to reflect and allow the experience to soak in. Noticing what calls to your attention with a calm, open mind, you open up new, fresh thought patterns and patterns of behaviour. Observing with calmness and compassion, your mindfulness practice soaks in and spreads from there far beyond the experience, into the rest of your life, filtering out to those around you.

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We have a natural tendency, as humans, to dwell on what's wrong or what could go wrong. Add in a pandemic, uncertainty, and fear, and imagine the potential for damage that can cause! It's helpful and healthy for us to actively cultivate a positivity bias to counter these negative thoughts. Where better to practice that than our yoga mats? I will be guiding you through gratitude and present-moment-awareness practices, while guiding you safely through (fun) yoga poses that express joy in our bodies for the month of July.

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What kind of a yoga teacher am I if I talk to you about connecting with your core on your yoga mat while ignoring the suffering in our community? What kind of a human am I to speak of the virtues of solitary moments of connection on the mat without acknowledging the interconnectedness of all humans on our planet?

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Often, the hardest work is just committing to your practice, and cultivating the discipline and perseverance to simply show up.

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There are times in life when we could benefit from taking a long hard look at ourselves. Sometimes we just need to vent. Sometimes we need to reflect on what’s good, or simply brain-dump. Why not become your own best friend in this therapeutic, life-enhancing practice.

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This too will pass and we will be be a stronger community for it. Take the time for practices that keep you well, nurture you, and develop you. This is a portal for us, times of great uncertainty lead to great resilience and strength.

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Breathing slowly, thoughtfully, and fully, calms the nervous system, which improves all the functions of the body, the digestive system, the immune system, all the systems of the body.

When we are relaxed and de-stressed everything is better!

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For overall wellbeing ~ For stress reduction ~ To focus and calm the mind.

20 minutes of stretching and mindful movement, seated and standing: for good posture and a relaxed body.
20 minutes of meditation and mindfulness practices: for concentration, focus, and increased productivity.
20 minutes of guided relaxation practices: for relaxation, overall wellbeing, and an ability to stay present.

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