I wonder if you have been reflecting over the year almost as if we are approaching a new year as our lockdowns begin to gradually be lifted here in Europe. Did you manage to adapt better towards the end or try out some new practices that might have helped you through? Even if we feel overall that our year was compromised, curtailed or blighted somehow, if we are still here practicing and showing up each day I would consider that a very good start.
I knew just a couple of months into the first part of the pandemic that my regular practices were falling short and not meeting my needs. My body was telling me in so many ways. Even with the opportunity for more sleep, I was tired, lethargic, and feeling generally low. The accumulating stress was showing up in my body in so many ways. Tension is after all is stagnation of the overall normal healthy flow of our body’s systems and we were certainly forced to stagnate by being locked down into our homes. I decided to try some different things and one of them was a different fitness routine, online of course with higher intensity bursts and one which got the two halves of my brain to co-ordinate more through repetitive new movements. It was the fact that it was something different, where I had to learn from the beginning, that kick started my brain into new ways of imitating and remembering. There is nothing like applying a beginner’s mind to something where you can’t go automatically into auto pilot. Within a couple of months I did feel better and was smiling more. A year later I stayed with it because I always felt better after the class and this generally led to my feeling more optimistic and hopeful about the future. There are always some blippy days but the main thing is that there has been a definite overall improvement to my health. My teaching has always been shared from my own various practices that helped me too rather than from borrowed teaching.
I don’t think it’s ever too late to begin again with whatever it is so I encourage you to be open minded and practice methods that will slowly help you to cultivate the qualities you aspire to. I don’t think it matters what that is necessarily but more that you enjoy it and begin to enjoy learning afresh. For instance if you want to be more confident in speaking up and showing up online or in person, no one can ‘give’ you confidence. It needs to be built. Being seen and heard fully is not easy for so many. We didn’t have those practices at school here in the UK at least and certainly not in Asia where I was schooled at primary level. Behaving, sitting still and not speaking until you were spoken to was mandatory. So it might be a singing group, a drama group, a writing group, a dance group or something that peaks your curiosity. Turning on a screen and being seen to be dancing or following set rhythms would have once been anathema to me but I am now doing it with a smile just as I have seen many come to life after several days online with me. It takes time to dare to been seen and heard and time to feel relaxed about being seen fully. From there, confidence blooms.
Do you love dancing as a form of exercise? This past year I took a Zumba Fitness teacher training from teacher David Velez @DavidVelez_cce who has shown up everyday online at the same time teaching super fitness classes and dance classes on other days. That’s dedication for you! I also love the less structured 5Rhythms dance and have posted a link here to a great teacher Lucy Howgego who I know personally and she offers a choice of online dancing for all ages.
Safe transition ‘back to life’ all and I hope to see you on the mat for my upcoming Liver Qi workshop intensive or the dance floor before we can safely get back to the studio. Spring signifies the growth of the element of wood and we will be working in new effective ways to target Liver qi harmonising its balance with the gall bladder through yin yoga and myofascial release.
NEW LIVER QI & MINDFULNESS MEDITATION WORKSHOP
A mini intensive focusing on in-depth education for all Yin Yoga practitioners and teachers.
Saturday, March 20, 2021
2:00pm – 5:00pm, GMT London followed by Question & Response time
Recording available for 10 days included if you cannot attend live.
BOOK HERE
£45 EARLY BIRD
▶️A 3 hour long live streamed workshop session on the bilateral Liver Gallbladder Meridian energy sequence and learn Standing Meditation to boost the parasympathetic nervous system.
▶️An opportunity to refresh and revisit the breakdown of postures for the Liver & Gallbladder and the variations within them according to different skeletal variations and injuries .
▶️Integrating identifying some of the key acupressure points of this organ pair which connect the meridian pathways where tension and pain often accumulate. Learn how to release your bodies natural endorphins through myofascial release to encourage a healthier flow of energy and help balance accompanying emotional imbalances.
▶️Enjoy a led Body Scan of the Liver Gallbladder meridian qi flow.
▶️An opportunity to practice Mindfulness Meditation and how to integrate this into both your teaching and daily practice
- 3hours CPD points Yoga Alliance.
- Followed by live Q & Response.
More details here:- https://www.sarahlo.co.uk/online-live/
Here’s a quick peek of next Saturday’s live Liver Qi workshop