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Lucyogini

Yoga classes, workshops and inspiration for every body

Dedication to Darkness

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Thank you so much for all your kind well wishes over the past week – I am honoured to be part of the kula we’re building.  I’m really sorry to have missed our final classes of the year last week, but I’m on the mend now!

I am blessed to say that I have not had to deal with serious injury or illness too often in my life.  Some of this I am thankful to the teachings of yoga for; some luck also thrown into the mix I’m sure!  A week off my feet has been an eye opener.  A reminder of the fragility of this body, and the preciousness.

I’ve become so used to being able and self-reliant.  I’ve become so reliant on being able!  In my head is my own voice as I tell you – focus on the breath – this is enough – and yet, tears, frustrations, anger – I don’t want this!  I teach yoga – I can’t (shouldn’t!) be incapacitated!

And yet, things happen. We are human.

The Universe has a funny way of reminding us of the lessons we need to learn; times of darkness are often our greatest teachers.

And here we are at the Zenith of darkness: The Winter Solstice.

We tend often to only celebrate the light.

The other, darker stuff gets hidden away.

But what of this Darkness?  What of that which is hidden?

It is the darkness that makes us human.  Our flaws, our hidden fears, our deepest desires.

Darkness provides us the opportunity for growth and for strength which emerges from fathomless depths.  Only in darkness do we discover these potential truths. Only in darkness do we realise that we must strip away the built-up clutter we collected along the way (emotional…physical…spiritual…mental…); in darkness we get back to basics. 

We cannot be, can never be, full LIGHTNESS.

The Darkness makes us whole.  The Darkness offers us the chance to shine.

As a wise friend reminded me this week: Mine the gold!

And so back to basics I have been, trying the best I can to meet myself in darkness and mine the gold!  Nothing fancy; remembering the joy and relief of small, simple movement. Renewed compassion. Remembering to be thankful. Remembering to be gentle. Remembering that this too will pass.

This Winter Solstice and Christmas time I wish for you a time to rest and reflect.  What from this year are you ready to leave behind?  What are you inviting in for 2016?  There is no rush. No New Year deadline. Wait for the lighter days and months for action…for now, rest, nurture new ideas and nourish.  There is nothing more to be done.

Wishing you very happy, peaceful and restful Christmas times, my friends.

May we be happy,
May we be healthy,
May we be peaceful and free. 

Saluting the Moon

QUESTION: When is a Powercut a Meditation?

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I wrote this in a powercut.

There was a powercut today, the longest one I can remember for a long time. And whilst I am in no way comparing this to real disasters where people are left without power or heat for days and days, it has – as all interruptions do – woken me up a little bit to the habits and dependences we walk through life with everyday.  Every room I go into I reach for the light without thinking; no TV…I’ll just check such-and-such on the web…no internet; no landlane and a flat mobile battery.  None of these things are remotely life threatening of course; but just becoming aware of our habitual beliefs, actions and thought patterns – our expectations – is interesting.  When what we thought was there without question, just isn’t.

We all have our patterns, our subconscious movements, those things we reach for without thinking.  It’s the same with meditation. We sit down, start tuning into the breath, paying attention to the body, but pretty soon a little itch arrives at the end of our nose…and before we know it – without thinking – we’ve moved to scratch it.  We sit longer, retuning, observing, but pretty soon our legs ache or a thought has wormed its way in and before we’ve processed what’s going on, we’ve changed position or are merrily a million miles away, following that thought down the road and far away.

None of these things are ‘bad’.  It’s ok to rely on light switches to work and water to flow from the tap.  It’s ok to check your email / phone a million times a day or to scratch your nose in meditation…but is it possible to become aware of our impulses before we act? To find the space between thought and action; to shine a light on our patterns of behaviour.  To recognise the choice we have – the freedom – that exists in the space between thought and action.

Today I am grateful for all the things we take for granted, and that we live in a world where those things can be taken for granted.  I am grateful for the opportunities (particularly those that don’t even seem like opportunities) for us to recognise ourselves and awaken.

The meaning of Namaste

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Na – ma – ste.

Three little syllables that close our yoga class.  I like to open arms up wide to the sky, draw the palms together, touch them to the forehead, then the heart-centre and then bow to the class.  A gesture of respect, of peace and of thanks.

There are lots of translations of Namaste – from a simple ‘hello’, to the literal ‘I bow to you,’ to the elaborate (deep breath) “I honour the place in you in which the entire Universe dwells, I honour the place in you which is of Love, of Truth, of Light and of Peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are One.”

I like to think of it as ‘The best in me salutes all that is the best in you.’ 

The meaning of Namaste is a recognition that we are all equal; we are all teachers, and all students, always.  Not just in class, but out in the world, with everyone we meet and connect with on whatever level.

As we open our arms up to the sky we invite energy and life to fill us;

by bringing the palms together, we signify gratitude to the Universe, to the energy that is bigger than us all;

by drawing this to our foreheads, we bring attention to our thoughts – and welcome the possibility of true clarity;

by drawing the prayer to our chest, we bring attention to our feelings and welcome gratitude and compassion to our hearts; 

in bowing we recognise and respect all that is good and brilliant and miraculous in each and every one of us – ourselves included.

All in one little word.

The meaning of Namaste is giving thanks for all that each and every experience brings us – the good and the bad. It is recognising the connection between ourselves, each other and the wider Universe. It is recognition of our own innate brilliance.

Humbling and exalting in equal measure!

Say it like you mean it. See how taking the spirit and intention of Namaste out into the world and all our daily interactions can open up our communication, our generosity and our understanding.

I consider myself extremely lucky that I get to share yoga every day. But we all can – live yoga, be yoga. It opens you up to more YES, more LOVE and more JOY.

In the truest possible sense, to each one of you…Namaste.

 

xoxo lucyogini