A cancer diagnosis, a car accident, a death of a loved one, a broken heart: any one of these can occur and knock us off of our feet. Yet, we cannot have the light without the dark. How do we see reflection without shadow?
Life is a series of twists, turns, peaks, and valleys. No matter how we manifest our dreams, they don’t usually march along obediently in a linear fashion. In the tough times, we can’t hold ourselves back or shrink from life.
One way to work through pain and suffering is by stepping onto your yoga mat. Your yoga practice is a safe haven from the perils of the everyday world. Where you can process the emotions that can feel overwhelming.
We aren’t pretending darkness doesn’t exist. No, it’s more of a recognition that we need to travel through the shadows, experience the blinding pain, even when we aren’t sure we can bear it. Only by moving through, however, by trusting in the process of the universe, by trusting in our own power to heal can we evolve and find empowering liberation.
What would it take to release the fear, to process the pain, to lift your hands up in the air in reckless abandon and accept you’re on this ride called life? Sickness, death, lost love—we all experience these realities of life. Gather your courage and enter the darkness. Trust yourself.
Remember Haruki Murakami’s quote: Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. We can all handle pain. Suffering is the identification with the pain. Learning to release it after you’ve grieved can set you free.
Accept the challenges. Work through them with bold powerful strokes regardless of the tremors of insecurity and doubt. You’ll emerge on the other side stronger, more powerful, and ready to fly.
Choose one of our weekly offerings to release some of the trauma trapped in your physical body. Or, just enjoy four more awesome classes designed for you:
1. Christen Bakken - Lessons From the Ladies: Ma Kali
Kali: Be Unafraid of the Dark. Kali has been somewhat falsely named, The Dark One. She is known for her black tongue, a necklace of skulls, and her overall fierceness. What I find most interesting and inspiring about Kali is she comes in to clean up the dark. So many of us run away from what is dark or uncomfortable- whether that is a deep hip opener or a painful relationship in our lives. Kali does not run. She walks in, does what is necessary, and cleans it up. She literally laps up the darkness and clears the path. Can we embody this in our practice and in our lives? Would being bold, sailing in darkness, and clearing the path be a new strategy for facing our lives?
2. Guru Jagat - Cardio Kundalini 1: Digestion
In this short but powerful Kundalini Yoga Work out you will receive a total glandular system reset through aerobic and anaerobic activity and work up a deep, cellular sweat. Ready to feel amazing and radiant? Then this class is for you!
3. Blair Bradley - Slow Burn Yoga
Do you feel like you are rushing all day? Would you like to take some time to slow down? Challenge your practice by moving through this slow paced class with your eyes closed. Enjoy slowly flowing through grounding poses and then challenge your balance with this inward practice.
4. Kristen Boyle - IndieFlow Quick Hamstring Release
In this short sequence, Kristen Boyle will guide you through a Supta Padangustasana series that will open up tight hamstrings, and relieve low back pain. This series is a perfect follow-up to a vigorous workout, or as a mid-day break at work.