Yin Somatics Here for Now
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Here for Now
I think we’re all a little tired right now. Things are piling up for sure at this stage in the pandemic. This is a practice that I offered recently to bring a bit of TLC and care to some students who are dealing with some heavy stuff.
Podcast: Yin & Somatics for Self Acceptance
In this very supported practice we will be focusing on the movements of the spine: delicious forward folds, sublime twists, exquisite sidebands and soft hearted back bends. As we gently experience the body in these movements and poses, we will explore an idea from the Buddhist tradition, that it takes a strong back and a soft heart to practice compassion. Throughout your practice, I’ll be encouraging you to direct your compassion and self acceptance inward. You’ll get to experiment and feel these ideas in your body and in your practice.
Podcast: Nerve Flossing for Sciatic Trouble
All of the nerves in our body require a state of sliding and gliding within our tissues. When nerves get stuck, or compressed, they tell us. While the causes of sciatic nerve pain or sciatica are numerous and not terribly well understood. We do know that restoring a suppleness and fluidity to the tissues of the low back, glutes, pelvic floor and thighs can be helpful . To restore or maintain this fluidity, in this practice, we will use a technique known as nerve flossing.
Getting to Know Your Back
The back is an incredibly complicated structure anatomically, but even more so when you consider other parts of the experience like the the vascular system and the nervous system. But humans are not just walking talking tissues. We are embodied selves with thoughts, feelings, beliefs and predictions. These parts of our experience are EVERY BIT as important to our experience as the tissues themselves, maybe even MORE important.
Yin Nest: Cultivating Safety Within
Chronic Stress effects nearly every human and it definitely takes a toll on our bodies. Stress affects every cell of you, sometimes in unexpected ways. Your endocrine system, your immune system, and your motor system all mobilize to protect you from real or potential threats. In this class we will explore the areas of the body that are often guarding, ready to fight or flee; the psoas and the pelvic floor. We will utilize breathing practice, awareness, somatic education and yes, even a little stretching to soothe these areas which can in turn, turn down the volume in your entire nervous system.