The Stress Response in your body.
This blog was sent by email to students on 28th January 2022. Please check the events and workshops page of the website for the latest updates on classes and events.
Dear Yoga Friends,
The stress response in your body ... why it's helpful to recognise it, feel it, accept it, befriend it. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, who wants to wallow in misery?! However, we might as well acknowledge it, life can be stressful. For all of us, it's not just you! And it's not your fault, life can be hard, things can happen.
Let's imagine you accidently click on a link you're not supposed to, or hit send on a text to the wrong person (maybe the person you are having a go at in the text :-o) and horror descends and the body reacts. Why on earth would we want to sit and notice those uncomfortable feelings, the heart racing, the clammy hands, the sinking feeling in your stomach, maybe shaking, maybe you want to cry or shout.
The thing is, these things happen. We can't push them away, no matter how hard we try. Accepting them changes things, it gives us a bit of space to notice the reality of the situation, a bit of space to breathe, to calm down, to choose our next actions more wisely. You see, your nervous system is a bit like the smoke alarm in your kitchen, it goes off like a mad thing whether it's a piece of toast or a wall of your house burning down.
On the yoga mat, in mindfulness, on our days out together, we can often find ourselves a little more tuned in to the body in an accepting, allowing way. And that, the wise ones say, is the GOLD. Consider the words of Jack Kornfield, author and Buddhism teacher:
"Remember to use your body as a way to awareness. Just patiently practice feeling what is here until it becomes second nature to know even the small movements you make. This basic effort, which paradoxically is a relaxing back into the moment, gives us the key to expanding our awareness from times of formal practice to living mindfully in the world. Do not underestimate the power that comes to you from feeling the simple movements of your body."
Thankfully, we have space in nature, in gorgeous venues, where we can practice this skill, this art of self-knowledge, in a kind, curious, spacious way. This morning I was in Orlagh House and from the gates of the property I felt a wave of relaxation come over me. Two minutes from the M50 and I found myself in a different world, a million miles away. Chatting with Aaron the chef, an incredibly thoughtful and creative foodie, we brainstormed ways to enhance the sensory immersion that comes with a day in Orlagh House. Locally sourced food, elderflower cordial, nettle wine, Bailey's hot chocolate, I mean it when I say creative! We also planned a sleepover - yes, breakfast in the garden overlooking the city, aperitifs on the lawn, foraging for herbs, fine dining in the luxurious dining room... more about all of that coming this summer!
For now we have workshops and full-day events to look forward to in the coming weeks and months. Our next full day out in Orlagh is on 23rd February and still has spaces. Events tend to book up, however please make use of Eventbrite's excellent waiting list system as I'm finding people can cancel at the last minute, understandably with all of us a victim to not-knowing the moment we'll be told we're a close contact, or to feeling a sniffle coming on. Our workshop tomorrow had several cancellations, right now we have one space free.
Of course, as many of us know too well, stepping onto our yoga mats in our cozy spacious community centres offers us this same opportunity. Mindfulness Course Practitioners are beginning to explore things in seated meditation practices and this week for our homework we fill out an "Unpleasant Events" diary.
Morning classes in Ballyroan will be on week three of courses this coming week, Tuesdays at 10.45am and Thursdays at 9.30am. I have very limited space in both, if you are new to these classes please check with me before booking a space, regulars thanks so much for your confirmations.
Monday night’s 8.15pm class in The Park Community Centre will be back next week, I'll be emailing you all later, most of you have paid up your class on Monday. Thanks to all of you coming on Thursdays and joining us online in the meantime. Thursday night’s 7pm class has a limited number of free spaces (week 3 next week), please check with me as we have a waiting list for evening classes. Regulars, thanks so much to those who have confirmed, if you haven't already done so please book as usual.
Mindfulness practitioners, it's looking likely we'll being in-person from Wednesday next week. For those of you interested in learning more about mindfulness and MBSR I have a colleague starting an 8-week course in February with a limited amount of spaces. Please let me know if I can pass your details on to Catriona for further discussion with her if this course might suit you at this time.
In our online classes we are sequentially making our way through the foundational attitudes of mindful living, qualities we can cultivate on and off the yoga mat to encourage a rich, full, meaningful life. This week we explore trust. You are welcome to jump on board and join us in these classes any time.
I’ll weave the same theme and poses into all of our classes each week so those of you joining me on the mat have the choice and the freedom to attend class from home with the live online class recording. It’s never a problem if you prefer to remain at home for whatever reason, your place in class will be there for you when you are ready to return.
Listen to your body, don't pay too much attention to the noisy mind - it might be completely over-reacting! Have a lovely weekend and I'll be back in touch soon with more plans and hopes and dreams so we can TRUST it will all be ok in the end, it usually is!
Kindest regards,
Sylvia.
sylviayoga.com
Join me for online yoga in your home any time, on-demand classes here.