Om Nama Shivaya: A mantra for Shiva - remover of ignorance - which is inspired by a beautiful melody by Nikki Slade.
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10 mins
Radhe Govinda Lullaby: A lullaby for Radhe and Govinda, young lovers that embody the essence of joy. Radha, the goddess of the universe and Govinda - the name for a Krishna in his youth. This melody evokes nostalgia and a sense of yearning for the sense of wholeness that we somehow sense is available to us even when it feels out of reach - it is a call for an integration of the masculine and feminine aspects inside our own being (not referring to gender but more to yin/yang, solar/lunar, ida/pingala aspects of ourselves that when integrated created a third thing which is a felt sense of our own wholeness and interrelatedness with all that is. Melody by Paula Andreewitch.
Self Practice Inquiry - Axial and Appendicular Integration: Exploring the relationship between centre and periphery as established embryologically and how this relationship unfolds into our adult movement patterns, and can echo through into our underlying sense of being.
10 Minutes of Movement: Short and sweet. A 10 minute movement snack to gather and recenter, playing with eagle variations in a variety of contexts and getting our blood moving in a short amount of time. A perfect pick me up & focus for stagnated or scattered energy.
Inner Reference Systems: What is our inner reference system? Is my practice moving me towards trust in my inner reference system or more into an advanced capacity of overriding inner reference systems? An important question to consider and I share a quote by Erich Schiffmann that I have found very helpful in exploring this…
Self practice enquiry - Hyoid & Backbends: The hyoid bone has a subtle but profound effect on instigating front body support in back bending. This relationship goes right back to our infant development and movement patterns. In this class I share a few ways to explore this relationship. Awareness of the hyoid can profoundly change our experience of spinal extension, in my experience offering much more of a sense of ease, space and support as we backbend.
Actively do Nothing: A 10 minute reset for when you need to just stop and lay on the ground. Whether you are exhausted or agitated, this practice will give you a chance to rest into the steadiness of the ground beneath you and of your breath within you. A short and sweet moment of nourishing rest.
Embryology & Cosmology: Contemplating how our embryological unfolding meets the stories the philosophy tells about the nature of the universe unfolding, and how if the philosophy ever gets confusing or overwhelming we can always come back to the simple fact that we have already self assembled, emerged and performed ourselves into being from a tiny uni cellular being into what we are and what we are always continuing to become…
Bridging the Practice: How do we bridge the experiences we have in our practice into our day to day? And how can we access what we cultivate in longer practices through micro meditations later on? Does my practice exist as an island in my life? In what ways can I bridge awareness at the end of the practice for a sense of cohesive integration and grounded awareness as I move into the rest of my daily activities? Here are some thoughts on bridging the practice…
Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo: I bow to the teacher within me, to my innermost knowing, to the all that is that is my teacher. I bow to all the teachers that have come before me and when I chant these words I stand in the river of their wisdom as it moves through. Melody - Paula Andreewitch
Self with a capital ‘S’: Contemplating what is referred to in yoga philosophy as the big misunderstanding, when we over identify with the “small ‘s’ self”, and what remembering the capital ‘S’ self looks like.
Hanuman Chant Tutorial: Calling in the remembrance of the spark of divinity that resides in all that is.
Goddess Prayer: A longer and more complex chant, and one of my all time favourites. This chant calls to various forms of the goddess and comes from a text called the Devi Mahatmayam. This is from the Argala Stotram that is comprised of 26 verses, here I share the first 3. The melody was taught to me by my teacher Stephanie Snyder.
Slow it down - grounding breath: A gentle and powerful practice slowly encouraging our exhalation to grow in depth and spaciousness to help us feel grounded and cultivate a sense of inner coherence.
The Heart: Exploring the relationship between the physiology of our heart, ancient philosophies that talk about the heart, and the utter magic of our embryological heart journey. I read some words written by anatomist and poet Gil Hedley, and share teachings from the Recognition Sutras and Joanne Avison’s insights on the heart. Inspiration station!
Breath of Fire: An invigorating practice, and a personal favourite to shift my mood or energy and get a sense of ‘clearing the slate’. A short, sharp exhale followed by a passive inhale and some gentle breath retentions in between breaths make for a quick, effective and potent practice. Not recommended if you are pregnant or menstruating or have any abdominal sensitivity.
Arunachala Chant: Calling to steadiness, wisdom, the mountain that is Arunachala, the embodiment of siva, and our highest wisdom. This melody is by Mooji.
Breathe to Recalibrate: Explore two variations of alternate nostril breathing to cultivate a sense of inner coherence and clarity as you recalibrate your nervous system in a short amount of time.
10 Minute Sit: A short guided meditation to tune in and settle down, moving awareness through your whole body and dilating attention out of our head and our thinking into a full bodied sense of being fully here, resonant and present.
10 Minute Flow: A short and sweet flow for when you’ve only got 10 minutes and you want to get your practice in and bring some movement and presence into your day. Props: 1 block (you can do without). Enjoy!