When the last line of the movie stays with you.

This blog was sent as the Newsletter in June ‘22, you can sign up for the newsletter on the homepage of the website.

Dear Yoga Friends,

I found myself watching a movie on Netflix, Spiderland. It’s about a pharmaceutical genius testing emotion-controlling drugs on prisoners in a state-of-the-art penitentiary. Having studied emotions and their influence on our brains for two years at Master’s level I was intrigued and got absorbed in the movie. The ending was touching, I felt a peaceful closure, I thought it was over, and then the actor delivered the final lines…

“I wish there was a self forgiveness drug. You take it, and everything starts over and you feel like it’s all ahead of you… this beautiful life, all the pleasures of it, all the love I could give, all the good I could I do. 

There is no drug like that. So we’re going to have to do it for ourselves.”

We may or may not be in prison, we may or may not be using substances to try to help control our emotions, but we do all have one thing in common - we all need to learn to forgive ourselves and start over. Over and over and over again. 

The human condition is to be alert to what is wrong, to be watchful and comparing and judging ourselves. This is not a mistake, it’s a very clever function of the brain. However, it can run out of control, it can be a sneaky background narrative humming away. It can be like a storm that comes and knocks us over when we do make a mistake. And of course we will make a mistake, we all make mistakes.

Can you practice self forgiveness and start over when you are giving yourself a hard time? Coming to your yoga mat, coming back to your body and your breath. Beginning again, starting over. We’re going to have to do it for ourselves. 

Outdoor yoga is a great place for this self-practice. The ground is uneven, there’s a surge a wind, I don’t like that noise, ooooh there’s sunshine, I want more of that, I want less of that. On and on, the thoughts, the judging. And then there’s the coming back. Your feet on the grass. Your heavy body as it sinks into the earth. The gentle breeze on your skin. The rustle of the leaves. Outdoor yoga can be noisy, exciting, harsh, unpredictable, wild and imperfect, just like life! 

Read on for opportunities to join us on the mat this week and in the coming weeks, indoors, outdoors, online, morning and evening options. All of the classes, workshops and upcoming events below are also listed on the events and workshops page with full details here.

Monday 8pm, The Park Community Centre. Drop in spaces, €10. Week 1 of current course. New 4 week course is €35 for four weeks or come to both courses in The Park, Mondays and Thursdays, for €60. 

Tuesday 1pm, Online, drop in and join us live or book and enjoy the recording for one week. 

Thursday 6.30pm, The Park Community Centre. Drop in spaces €10. Week 2 of current course.

Friday 9.30am, Marlay Park, spaces. *no class July 1st due to Longitude, back 8th July. 

We meet on the lawn to the left of the main car park near the iron man statue near a big tree for shade if you need it. If it's dry bring your yoga mat. If it's raining bring a raincoat and sturdy shoes. Warm layers are essential, rain or shine, even if it looks lovely and sunny when you leave your house. Marlay can get a cold wind. In rain we do some yoga and posture awareness under the trees and head for a forest bathing immersive mindfulness walk.
Limited number of early bird drop-in spaces for each class *please book early* €15 or revolut 0876822362.
Limited number of eventbrite tickets for each class €18.

Full moon meditations and Saturday morning workshops run in Mutton Lane Yoga Studio all summer long. July events, two-hour Saturday morning workshop on 9th and one-hour Full Moon Meditation on 13th are open for booking on Eventbrite here.

Please let me know if you have any questions at all. I'm looking forward very much to seeing you on the mat, maybe out in the sunshine breathing in the unpredictable landscape of Irish summer!

Kindest regards, 

Sylvia. 

sylviayoga.com
Join me for online yoga in your home any time, on-demand classes here.