Recently I have shocked myself by practicing asana to music in the mornings. Shocked because I was raised as a teacher in an ashram environment, where classes were very formal. 5.30 am. Silence. Teacher in control. Systematic approach.
3 reasons why your Yoga & meditation practice needs to evolve with you
- You are constantly changing in response to the world around you. Employment, relationships, home, family, environment; all are in flux to varying degrees.
- Your inner environment is changing too; spiritual growth, emotional healing, hormonal fluctuations (don’t get me started), health, cognitive changes, wisdom unfolding.
- Your practice is not immune to getting stuck in patterns that may no longer meet your needs.
Music helps me open up my body in different, fluid and fun ways. A posture can evolve from its original form into something new, a form and flow that allows greater movement and flexibility, riding on the waves of some beautiful melody.
Taking a long break from community teaching has really freed me up, in my own practice and my teaching style. Delivering trauma informed practices at the mental health unit has also hugely shifted my expectations of what a Yoga class looks like. I’ve now given myself permission to step outside old structures, internal and external.
Now when I teach, I like to encourage students to play with the postures. To let them evolve in a way that meets their own emotional and physical needs in the moment. Open curiosity is the attitude that supports this exploration. Experience over form.