Greetings! I am writing this on a beautiful fall morning in Montreal, where yellow, orange & red leaves still cling to the trees outside my window. The fact that one day soon we will awaken to a scene from which all colour has been pulled and find ourselves moving in and through the grey-scale reality of November, is not lost on me. The 11th month is frankly not my favourite one of the year. However, I still appreciate the forces of nature, always at work, which compel us to move through transitions and contrasting periods.
The seasons are an expression of one of the most apparent global cycles, and touch everyone. But there are other, equally powerful rhythms to be savoured and explored too. Yoga is designed to awaken us to a whole series of subtler movements wondrously reflecting themselves both in and as us.
For instance, there are the waves of thought, emotion and observation always ongoing inside us; we become more alert to these (or to some of them) through the self-study process inspired by a conscious practice. Then of course we have the breath, ever cycling in and out, as well as the palpable currents of prana, or life force, which become more felt, more dynamically lived, through careful attention.
We may even begin to experience the fluid, almost imperceptible shifting from one state of consciousness to another (yes, you all have those too!); this reveals itself little by little as we become more at ease with turning inward & then gazing out, and as we examine the nature of that alternating process.
There is more, always more… but let’s say for now that within the larger movement of our lives and of the seasons, we can experience layers of waves and cycles, each one governed by a fascinating, intelligent pattern.
Yoga is designed to bring increased awareness to all of that, to hone our capacity to enjoy, engage with and harmonize these movements of the self, both in and as us.
Wishing you well, hope to see you soon, keep in touch!
Namaste, Robin
