Week Three ~ Firing Up Your Awareness
A Chairde,
Already week three of our new yoga term at Thrive Greystones - it has absolutely flown in! I hope that you are settling into your September rhythms and finding a cosy new groove.
This Sunday we have a FIRE practice in both our Hatha Flow and Soft Stretch evening classes :) 5pm Hatha yogis can expect a worthy warrior confidence boosting flow with lots of cleansing breath, mindful arm strengthening, and lovely twists to benefit your digestion and liver health. Soft Stretch yogis, please do not be alarmed by the fiery theme! In the contents of this email I hope to elaborate on the various meanings and interpretations of how we might play with the idea of fire in yoga, but rest assured that it does not always imply a sweaty or forceful practice. Quite the opposite, in fact! The later 6:30pm class will offer an invitation to breathe deeply, come as you are, rinse out your body with gentle twists and mindful movement, and consider what in your life you might be ready to release...and what you might be ready to invite. Gentle, aligned yoga, open to all levels of practitioner.
When we think of fire, there are certain things that may come immediately to mind ~ heat, sweat, destruction, burning ~ these are the first words I jotted down in light of this week's theme. We all saw the damage of the wildfires last month, both across the world and also here in Ireland. Fire can cause great harm when it is allowed to run wild. But, obviously, fire is also what keeps us warm in winter. The energy of the sun, of light, of stars, all keeps us alive. The very discovery of fire was what allowed early humans to develop and evolve neurologically, as cooking their food meant they could save energy digesting it. Even a controlled forest fire, when the forest is living in balance and rhythm, can be a wonderful tool for stimulating new growth. Indigenous communities in Northern America were known to practice lighting low intensity fires intentionally as a way to manage the forest ecosystems and cultivate healing. Fire, when it is watched very carefully and skilfully, can be a great medicine.
In our yoga practice, we might consider the energy of fire as synonymous with stress. Just as lighting a small and controlled fire in a forest, if you know how to do it wisely, can cultivate and allow for great natural healing ~ lighting and inviting that same small flame of stress and challenge into your life can do the same. Think about all the times you have mindfully gone out to meet the edge of your comfort zone; times that you intentionally made your heart beat faster, moments when you allowed yourself to be truly vulnerable...these were the actions and moments that likely cultivated new growth, new ideas, and new discoveries. Embracing the heat, destroying the old, inviting in the new; these are all examples of healthy fire/stress energy. However, when you meet your edge too often, or when you are not carefully watching the flame...we all know what can happen.
It's no wonder we call it burn out.
The body is designed to live in balance, and that means stress has a rightful and worthy place. No one wants to feel high-strung or frazzled, like they can't slow down. But no one wants to feel depressed or lethargic either; like they don't have the energy to get out of bed or move their body. When we are low, sometimes it is actually that very spark of anger and frustration, however unpleasant, that can ignite the energy required for change and transformation. If we allow the spark to spit and flicker without our active attention, it will die out again or worse, it will grow into a terrible beast that harms those around us. Attention is vital. If we can light and watch that spark closely, if we can care for it, cultivate it... it will blaze a path and do the work of transformation for us. In the Sanskrit language of yoga we call this fire agni ~ the element of sacrifice, assimilation, and change.
Physically, a fire theme in yoga invites us to work with our digestive organs, our heart beat, and our core muscles ~ manipura chakra. It encourages us to find challenge and strength in our body, but also to calm and discipline our mind, this is known as tapas. We never let the fire get out of control; we just use it to see, cleanse, and transform what no longer serves us. Like lighting a candle.
I am truly excited for this practice! Please let me know if you'd like to sign up to either class this week :) I hope to see you there xx
Le grá agus buíochas,
Macha
"Genius is talent set on fire by courage."
Henry Van Dyke
