The violets, along the river, are opening their blue faces, like
small dark lanterns.
The green mosses, being so many, are as good as brawny.
How important it is to walk along, not in haste but slowly,
looking at everything and calling out
Yes! No!
To pay attention, this is our endless
and proper work.
an extract from ‘Yes! No!’ by Mary Oliver
lie on your back – close in to a wall
let your legs go up the wall
feel them emptying
settling down into welcoming hips
let the pelvis drop
this may surprise you – it has so far to go
the soles of your feet yawn open wide
play with the distance between your feet and find a quiet place for your arms
your body and your head rest silently on the ground
settle
if you stay for ten or twenty minutes perhaps
your breath will become
ocean deep
see the yellow star of the buzzard’s foot
toes extending wide to the stellar points
she
balances
on the bright hub of her open step
the meeting place of all her earthing, all her lightness, all her out breaths
Dear flat rock facing the stream
Where the willows are sweeping over my wine cup again
If you say that the spring wind has no understanding
Why should it come blowing me these falling flowers?
Wang Wei
‘Is it possible to have a different attitude in which a new intelligence, not imposed by others, but born out of curiosity, attention and sensitivity will emerge? In which body and mind, fused in one single action, collaborate together? It is just this revolutionary attitude that we are going to discover through a new discipline in the practice of yoga.’ Vanda Scaravelli
nurture curiosity in your practice…
feel what it’s like when you let your feet spread wide and wider still into the ground
this takes no time at all – but there’s no hurry
be interested in how your breath is moving
one breath – then another and another – be curious about them all
can you feel your body undoing itself?
one posture will do it and then a lifetime
honestly – there’s not much more to know
here’s something to try if your lockdown practice is feeling mechanical or boring or unproductive.
come to all fours and forget everything you know about cat pose – this is going to feel more like a ‘swamp creature’ than a cat
tune in
let your hands and knees spread into the ground – amphibious, spongy
notice breath moving towards you – away from you
start moving so that your spine floats in the space between your head and tail
do anything your spine would like you to do, however undisciplined, wonky or maverick this feels
as you are only making movements your body is calling for – you’ll need to stay alert
apply this to all other yoga postures
enjoy!
this post was inspired by one beautiful swamp creature student!
why not join me tonight for a moonlit practice between 8.30pm and 9.00pm. no zoom, no FaceTime – we’ll just know we are not practising alone. i recommend turning off the light – darkness brings a deep and quiet connection.
choose any postures – perhaps focussing on lying or seated – or take some breathing or meditation.
yoga unites us.
namaste.
start again – see part 1
let your body ripple forwards on the inhale and back to upright on the exhale
it may be a very small movement – see what happens
after a while imagine the exhalation as a warm breeze blowing down through your body from the crown, through your neck, chest, pelvis, legs and feet and away into the earth
as the new breath arises, open your body to welcome it in from miles away –
like sunlight
painting by Michelle Hendry
find an upright chair
sit a little forward of the back support with your feet flat on the floor
wait while your breath becomes quiet
breathing out, watch the spine unravel upwards as you drop the sitting bones into the chair and the heels and feet spread broadly into the ground
stay present with the body as it drops and unwinds with each out breath
breathing in, rock the softening body forward a little so that you roll to the front of the sitting bones, the weight on your feet falls towards your toes, your belly softens, your shoulders float
stay with the body as it softens with each in breath
you might carry on with this for 5 minutes or so…
part 2 next week
a green sprung spine.
one end jammed down
a stick stuck fast,
one end caught up
feel the spine-whip bulge, bend, ache
or
lay down in a lake
drift until the swell lifts
where the spine slides green under
sink your hands back under – feel
for the ripple running through – feel
for the wind raised wave
that may lift you,
may tip you,
may just
reinstate you.
