Dear friends,
Next week’s ASL and BSL workshop will be about Tapas - purification through discipline and commitment! Stoking that inner fire. I totally understand how it can be so tricky to commit to yoga to start with as that was totally me too when I was at the beginning of my yoga journey. I’m going to tell you what research has found so far with regards to yoga - this might just be the push for you to get on the mat :o)
Peer reviewed research has shown that after just one yoga class you have improved brain function, lower stress levels and increased flexibility. And after going to a class for a few months - research showed that you have lower blood pressure, improved lung capacity, improved sexual function, reduced neck and back pain, anxiety relief and improved balance. And after a year of doing yoga, research showed that yogis have stronger bones, a healthy weight and a lower risk of heart disease. I can truthfully say that yoga has changed my life for the better in a myriad of way and yoga continues to reveal its’ wisdom to me every single day. Even the family can tell when I haven’t done any yoga (or meditation) for two or three days - they’ll lovingly say to me ‘go and do some yoga and then come back’ :o)
This week I’ve loved teaching an Ahimsa class to 75 interpreters and teachers of the deaf via the Texas Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing services (as well as yoga - we did the lovely Loving Kindness meditation) - I’m looking forward to next week’s Satya class on Monday! I also love teaching the absolutely wonderful staff from the Texas School for the Deaf (I always think of teaching staff (and nurses) as absolute heroes!) and I love the private yoga classes (it’s always great fun to teach a group of friends!).
I also loved teaching British yogis a Brahmacharya workshop (lots of lovely restorative poses) and a Santosha workshop too - so lovely to use BSL again and the British humour - it’s something else! I also loved teaching two invigorating Santosha workshops in ASL where we explored heart openers with Camel, Bow, Dolphin, Wild Thing and Pincha - it was totally wild to see some yogis achieve Pincha on their first attempt (it took me months and months!).
And I was delighted to teach the first class of a series for the British Deaf Association Northern Ireland. I admit it hurt my brain a little bit to switch from American Sign Language to British Sign Language to Northern Irish British Sign Language but I got by! And I always enjoy teaching the free 45 minute class on Fridays as a way to give back during this time.
It’s a total honour to share the wisdom of yoga with y’all - thank you for sharing your practice with me. The free class on Fridays, the ASL and the BSL workshops always has a space for you if you’re feeling the push to find out what yoga is all about or if you’re itching to return to the mat after a hiatus. Yes it definitely takes Tapas and is it worth it? Definitely! See you on the mat!
Om and Namaste!
Lilli x
BSL Yoga Workshops
Monday/Wednesday 7pm (BST)
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ASL Yoga Workshops
Monday 10.30am-12pm (CDT)
Wednesday 7.15pm-8.45pm (CDT)
ASL Yoga Class (Every Week During COVID-19)
Friday 1pm-1.45pm (CDT)
Yogic Philosophy of the Week
Santosha (the second Niyama) means contentment or full acceptance. Yoga, breathwork and meditation have all consistently been proven to contribute to feeling contented. There are also other tools that have been found to aid Santosha - here’s a list of tools that was in the homework sent out to the yogis after the workshops this week in case one or two resonate with you too:
Gratitude: In the last few years - having a gratitude practice has empirically been found to have a positive impact on contentment. Practicing gratitude for our inner qualities as well as the external stuff is the way to go. It’s always a good time to start a gratitude practice but especially so when things are going well so we have gratitude as our baseline all ready for life’s ups and downs. We could think of three things we’re thankful for first thing in the morning when we wake up, we could write down five things we’re thankful for every night or have one dinner a week where we chat about all the things that we’re thankful for. Lots of different ideas out there!
Curiosity: We can examine painful feelings with curiosity – we can give it space and we can strive to have full acceptance of painful feelings by sitting with it. Pain tells us we’re alive, that we have a heart and that we care. Our ability to sit with pain increases contentment. Our curiosity and awe about the world that we live in also helps us to gain perspective and increases contentment.
Mindfulness: Mindfulness brings us back to the now. When we’re not anticipating the future or reminiscing the past – we are present and that is key for contentment. We could leave the phone at home and go on a walk really noticing the trees, flowers, leaves. Taking in the smells, sights, the colours and noticing the quality of the air. Patterns, markings, the light bouncing off, the shadows, contours, lines, dust dancing in a beam of sunlight, the rhythm of our legs as we walk. Slowing down at points during the day and just appreciating it all. The smile of a loved one, savoring the first mouthful, the sensation of drinking water, the simple pleasure of breathing and the privilege of our eyesight.
Radiance: If our basic needs in the hierarchy of needs are being met – we can radiate light and contentment. When we consciously choose to be radiant and to shine our light – we have a positive impact on the lives of others around us and we increase the amount of hope, peace and happiness in the world. We become a beacon of contentment and one day we may rely on beacons of contentedness to lift us up. ‘And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give people permission to do the same’ (Marianne Williamson).
Privilege: We are on this planet for a limited amount of time. We have made it this far, a great accomplishment in itself. I try to step back from time to time and remember what a blessing it is to be alive – and to remember the privilege it is to get older – ‘growing old is a privilege denied to many’ as they say.
I would love to know what you think of those tools to generate contentment - do you have any tried and tested tools that I could add to the list?
Pose of the Week
Dolphin is definitely a pose that requires quite a bit of Tapas. The benefits however are:
Relieves stress and mild depression
Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings and calves
Strengthens the arms and legs
Relieves menopausal symptoms
Helps to prevent osteoporosis
Improves digestion
Relieves headache, insomnia, back pain and fatigue
Therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet and sciatica
Totally worth it eh! It’s also a great prep pose for Pincha which is a lot of fun.
