As I write, the rain has just stopped and the world around our house appears vibrantly green and lush. Every living thing bursts upward and outward with springtime energy – somehow, the plants and animals know to grow! As the hummingbirds arrive at the feeder for the first time this season, I wonder, how did they find it? I suppose it was with the miraculous intelligence hidden in their small, iridescent bodies and speedy, humming wings.
This morning, I made a very rare visit to a local big-box store. What contrast! Not a window in sight; nothing green; nothing growing; seeming miles of white shelves of products stacked up in neat square rows; boxes inside boxes inside boxes. I felt concerned for the well-being of the staff people I met there, working long hours in an environment made for efficiency and quantity.
This week our yoga classes will take as springboard the following quote from philosopher and renowned somatics pioneer Thomas Hanna:
The human body is not an instrument to be used, but a realm of one’s being to be experienced, explored, enriched and, thereby, educated.
I’ve been listening to Hanna’s recorded classes lately, enjoying his clarity and sense of humor as he guides students to feel their bodies and move gently and slowly. So the movement and breathing sequences I offer you this week are inspired by his approach, and center around the theme of gentle exploration, highlighting the felt aspects of softness and roundness in our forms and breath.
Please feel welcome to join us as we come together in educating ourselves through movement, breath, and rest.