The power of connection.

As the spring marches forward, we can see more and more the ways which we are connected to nature, as the vegetation bursts forth, reaching for the light, hungry to grow and thrive; am reflecting on this vital demonstration of how connected and integral to the earth we really are. And it got me thinking - oh, here we go!

One of the main drivers for undertaking yoga teacher training when i did (and yes, there were many raised eyebrows) was to “connect” to people and my community in a way that was deeper and richer, in a way that i wasn’t receiving a salary for, in a way that i could realise the power of connection and yoga gave me the tools to do just that: but i have been intrigued as to the ways in which this connection has manifested. The most obvious is the coming together of a number of people, in a class setting, who don’t know each other but still feel they want to be in a room together each week. The next most obvious is the conversations that take place at the start of class, at the end of class and people welcoming each other back: like they feel some sense of “home” in the room, “come away in”……

In my yoga journey i have made many rich connections, lost a few and mourned those, but through understanding the Yoga Sutra texts more and more, i realise that “non attachment” provides clarity and freedom to be yourself, to understand yourself more and to be more available to whatever the universe has planned for you? We live in a world of striving for more, clinging to what we think we need or desire, and fear the failure or loss, but actually connections change on a daily, yearly basis and often the “letting go” can be transformational.

So new connections for me, on all sorts of levels, and i am richer for that: here are a few reflections on the connections and what they say about practicing together, as humans, in a shared space, using a framework that speaks to our needs, frees us from the shackles of expectation and allows us to focus on the one thing we need to be truly connected to: our body and our breath!

What i love about yoga:

- mums whose kids call it “yoda”

- students connecting to mothers whose babies they delivered 30yrs ago

- students bringing mothers and mothers-in-law, sisters and daughters to class

- men who feel like they really belong in the class

- students who forget their mats, socks and blankets but come anyway

- octagenarians!

- people who travel from glorious valleys to class and return smiling