Slow Sunday is a class I offer to explore what one often might feel as a ‘disconnect’ from ourselves, perhaps consumed by our busy lives or difficulty. This disconnect might be the ache of feeling separate or isolated in some way. Sunday Slow offers a space to come back home again.
Coming back to an awakened and open heart and turning towards ourselves from this place, rather than looking outside to be ‘heard’ from the ache of disconnect. The body may respond and something else , some new sensation may open to us.
In our recent New Year flow Sunday Slow session we explored starting from turning towards and listening to within the body to what our true hearts desires for this year may be. At this winter time of year when the seeds of our inner knowing are germinating, we are called to be still and quiet to connect with this inner knowing.
What might we want to feel like this year rather than do or become? Rather than pushing and pulling at ourselves and burdening ourselves with the numerous shoulds and to do lists. How about we listen to our nature to be still and grounded and quiet at this time of year? How about we transfer our attention from this external chatter and listen inside to get to know ourselves a bit better instead?
As Vanda Scaravelli said:
“Understanding leads to independence and to freedom”
As we settled into a wakeful heart meditation the room seemed to swell in a deep dropping into coming back home – to the inside. The mind lessening its grip, as we arrived in the aliveness of the body. And receiving the body and the breath.
How might it be if our attention can soften and widen? How might our attention be open and curious and kind to ourselves and our experience? Gentleness holding our ‘disconnect’ by the hand. Guiding our attention to be open, to be kind to this meeting with ourselves?
And the breath our forever friend. I felt drawn to read this from the Radiance Sutras number 4.
At the end of the exhale, breathe, surrender to quietitude , for a moment hang in a balance, suspended in the fertile spaciousness, that is the source of breath
At the end of the inhale, filled with the song of the breath, there is a moment, when you are simply holding, the tender mystery
It is these interludes , that experience opens us up to , into a unique exquisite vastness , with no beginning and no end, embrace this infinity without reservation , you are its vessel
The body begins to breath us , the breath begins to breath body, the mind gets out of the way and the fertile spaciousness of life can flow threw us…. might we find a voice behind the scenes in the vast night starry sky of our heart, whispering to us a sweet, joyful ‘yes’.
In each month over the following year I shall be exploring in my blog this theme of what it is to listen to the body and how we might feel we can be and move into life in ways that support us.
We might look at our biology, the nervous system, and how mindfulness practices , meditation and yoga help our cultivation of a deeper relationship to the body and can enable us to heal our bodies and minds and bring qualities of love, compassion and peacefulness as our mainstay in our daily lives.
Once more… Vanda Scaravelli ,“ Understanding leads to independence and to freedom”
So I invite you to better understand your self and find true freedom by joining me in the journey to tune into and deeply listen to the wisdom of your body.
I invite you to continue to move into your year with your true flow with this gift to yourself.
With love
Julie
Yoga 