19 May 2021
At time of writing, May 2021, the easing out of lockdown conditions following the Coronavirus pandemic has reached a stage which means we are now, finally, able to practice yoga together in person, for the first time in over 13 months. This is a very exciting new beginning, a time to reconnect with friends and, importantly, with our practice. To celebrate “coming Om”!
Sharing classes will bring us back to “Sadhana”, our personal spiritual practice, the time that we dedicate to spending with our spiritual intentions – whether or not we realise that’s what we’re doing! Most of us come to Yoga for the physical benefits it gives us, and from there, as we practice over time, it becomes something deeper for most students. The fulfilment it brings is no longer just about exercise or releasing stress, it becomes a way of thinking and being.
Of course, the ultimate goal of yoga, the yogis tell us, is enlightenment. However most of us recognise we’re a long way away from achieving this goal! But working towards becoming one with the Universe is, according to the yogic texts, the task we are faced with as spiritual beings living this life in a physical, human incarnation. No more separateness, just cosmic bliss. No pressure there, then!
Turning up on our yoga mat, whether that be in class or in your home practice, requires dedication and discipline. Often, practicing in a group setting seems to make this discipline more achievable, as we are drawn along and encouraged by the collective energy a room of yoga practitioners can create.
As we come back to class, we have an opportunity to reach out towards our higher purpose. That might sound a little “out there”, but it doesn’t have to be a lofty aspiration, it can be as simple as dedicating your practice to finding inner peace, or to letting go of the dramas of your everyday life and helping others, or anything else that you as an individual aspire to achieve. For the betterment of our own lives, and for the happiness of all.
Which brings me to onw of my favourite chants, “Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu”, which translates as: “may all beings be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.” As we come back to our mats for the first time in person for a long time, let’s reconnect with that collective yoga energy to inspire us, as we come home to our spiritual practice. By practicing together we’ll be creating sacred space inside of ourselves as well as outside.
Sharing our yoga experiences and energy with other class members will help us to remember the rewards of sadhana; you know how you feel once you’ve done the class and got to Savasana? That’s the fruit of your sadhana labours manifesting!
I am honoured and excited to be bringing you back to your mat, to the company of friends and like-minded folk, to rediscover your personal and collective sacred space.
Look forward to seeing you – in the same room! – on the mat.
xCx