I’m excited. All through these many months of Covid quarantine I’ve been learning as a teacher. I’ve been challenged and grateful. I’ve been celebrating silver linings. But all along I have also been longing for some slowing in the pace and time to take advantage of the myriad learning opportunities appearing in my inbox. I’ve finally gone and done it. I’ve committed to the 40 Zoom sessions in 3 weeks that is the Himalayan Institute Vishoka Meditation Teacher Training course. Okay, it’s still teacher training, but as always in yoga, before you teach you get to practice and grow yourself, so that’s what’s happening now. Every lecture so far has come with an Aha! moment and the practices are bringing a deeper calm awareness. It’s so apparent how every single training and event I’ve ever attended with Panditji, Ishan, Rolf, Rod, Shari, and Sandy build on each other in such a sequential way that I feel ready for the next step, and yet it’s still a big step. It’s the best integration yet of the living body of ancient wisdom shared with western pedagogical systemic instruction that I’ve experienced through HI. And yes, I still feel the zoom fatigue, occasional vata overstimulation at all the words spoken, and regret wondering why I haven’t always done more practice. Stay tuned. What’s going in now will percolate and come out in my digested version sometime soon.
As we enter this 2nd “lockdown,” which I prefer to call “guidance to stay at home,” we go into it more knowing this time. We’ve been here before; we’ve learned how to do it. We get a chance, maybe, to do some things differently. Here’s your chance. As much as you can, make of it what would be of benefit to you. I’m balancing between online study and going outside in Nature. The one complements the other, undoes the over-doing.
I’ve been exceedingly grateful for 2 other things. First, the Facebook Live chanting page is my anchor to practice in community. It’s still online but it’s amazing how we can get the feeling of connection going. Holding space for seeing and transforming turns experience into learning. You are still welcome to join or return. I’m introducing a new-to-us mantra on Sunday that is intended to help reduce fear. Become my Facebook friend on Life Tree Yoga with Lisa and let me know via Messenger or message on the page that you want to be invited to join the page. Then join us on Wednesday and/or Sunday at 9:00 GMT. You can watch live or later, and you can re-watch. Silver lining flexibility!
Yes, I’m an American, and the last days/weeks have been intense building up the Presidential election. I was very glad on Wednesday morning that I could put down my phone and the news and turn instead to the group to chant. Practice gives us this refuge – a place to go, and something to do, that helps us let go of the state we’re in and enter a clearer, more resourced, and supported one. Because we had invested the time, and sustained the activity over time, when I really needed it, it was a trusted place I could turn. We all need that place. I’m pleased to hear it’s been that for some others of you, too.
The other gift is creativity. I’m not an artist with my hands (I wish!) but I can become creative with my words. Thoughts and feelings flow through and find expression, and along the way I feel enlivened. Whatever mood I’m in, when this happens, I feel better. Changed for the good. Freed in a way. Ideas come to me that feel novel – not the everyday rut of to do’s in my mind. It reminds me of pranava – the power of creation, the novelty and uniqueness of the new, the new expression of something familiar – the creative, divine intelligence to manifest into being something that was formerly potential. It seems to come from somewhere unseen and previously unexperienced and flow through. When my mind works like this, whatever is happening becomes more bearable, and in fact becomes fodder for the next revelation. Newness is essential to our growth and happiness, our feeling of aliveness. It can come in many forms. It doesn’t only meant novelty. Today my husband is once again re-arranging the furniture in his office. Change in our living space to better align with our use of it can be so refreshing! Creation can come from greater depth of understanding, a broadened perspective taking, a new insight on an old problem, a change in habits, seeing something as if for the first time – anything that keeps us exploring, growing, learning, unsticking. By the way, it’s also the constructive way to channel your overactive mind, and to shift your depressed one out of its stuck place. What’s your go to way and is there anything new you can introduce today?
A great example of hearing what we know in a new way, I’m enthralled with Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us podcast with Emily and Amelia Nagoski on Luminary. Find it. Listen to it. It’s so good. You may have a good laugh too when they talk about how important breathing is – how much they at first underrated its power, and Brene says, you know who talks about breathing? Yoga teachers! (And special ops military folks. Go figure). You can also buy Emily and Amelia’s book. I have, and now it’s on my list of things to do. Some things don’t change quickly.
Here’s my new things I’m offering:
1. 9 December 14:00 – 15:00 GMT I’m teaching at the UK Teen Yoga Summit online. I’m going to offer fun and effective Samyoga and Viyoga strategies for Covid coping. There are lots of other excellent speakers. It’s free but a donation is requested to support the Teen Yoga UK Foundation efforts. https://nickydye.wixsite.com/teenyogasummit
2. 12 December 9:30 – 17:00 GMT I’m offering an online one-day experiential workshop optimistically titled: Special Covid Edition: Yoga's Superpower Strategies to Reduce Anxiety. https://www.lifetreeyoga.co.uk/workshops
You can still find me online in these ways:
1. Friday integrated yoga class with asana, pranayama, philosophy, relaxation, and meditation 9:00 – 10:30 GMT. Register on Life Tree Yoga with Lisa to get the Zoom and payment links. https://www.lifetreeyoga.co.uk/yoga-classes
2. You can also watched the recorded versions of the live classes by going to a different tab on my website https://www.lifetreeyoga.co.uk/resources/onlineclasses Scroll down for the latest ones.
3. I am continuing to see folks for Yoga Therapy online, and I offer Mentorship and Supervision for Yoga teachers and yoga therapists online. There’s a tab for that too! https://www.lifetreeyoga.co.uk/yoga-therapy
4. The chanting page is a Facebook page. I know there are many good reasons NOT to be on Facebook, but this is one good reason to be on. If you want to join, see the earlier paragraph with joining steps.
Why did it take me so long to create a website?! They are such handy resources as a way to provide information. Some resistances take a long time to be worked through, and then you wonder what all the fuss was about once it’s done.
Yogacampus Offerings
I want to also link you all to some excellent trainings happening through Yogacampus – my other long-time yoga home. Here’s the link to the full calendar of outstanding upcoming learning opportunities. Get your something new! It’s dazzling how many good opportunities there are upcoming https://www.yogacampus.com/courses/course-calendar
So many people to draw your attention to – so here goes at least a start:
My esteemed teacher Gary Kraftsow https://www.yogacampus.com/courses/events-and-continuing-professional-development/pain-management-for-headaches
Another fount of knowledge and experience Doug Keller https://www.yogacampus.com/courses/events-and-continuing-professional-development/fundamentals-in-the-therapeutic-wisdom-of-yoga
The wise and kind Tias Little https://www.yogacampus.com/courses/events-and-continuing-professional-development/nadis-circulation-and-the-joints
Local expert and good friend Susanne Lahusen https://www.yogacampus.com/courses/events-and-continuing-professional-development/yoga-as-a-somatic-practice
My good friend who’s a new face on the Yogacampus list Leila Stuart https://www.yogacampus.com/courses/events-and-continuing-professional-development/teaching-breathing-to-non-breathers
Another home grown amazingly knowledgably teacher Adelene Cheong https://www.yogacampus.com/courses/events-and-continuing-professional-development/practical-guide-to-teaching-and-sequencing-a-restorative-yoga-practice
The good doctor Timothy McCall back in the house with a new topic important https://www.yogacampus.com/courses/events-and-continuing-professional-development/preventing-osteoporotic-fractures-with-yoga
Fan favourite (I’m the fan, she’s my favourite) and phenom Uma Dinsmore-Tuli https://www.yogacampus.com/courses/specialist-training-courses/well-woman-yoga-therapy-training
And that just gets you to the first week in December!! You have many opportunities to spend this be-at-home time as a student, too. Seize the moment.
This is a long one. So much is going on. Congratulations if you read all the way to the end. Our minds are being conditioned to see headlines and only a few paragraphs. But depth of understanding requires a longer attention span, so that’s for sticking with me.
The quote that has been sticking with me and guiding me when my emotions are less noble in these challenging times is this: “The most ancient traveler is love.”
Sending you all love and warm wishes for your well-being,
Lisa
