I love this time of year when you have these beautiful sunny surprisingly warm days, when you get the flowers starting to think about appearing and loads more bird chatter, and even some cute fluffy bird babies around the local lake! Then, 5 minutes later, torrential rain, freezing cold! A whole week of grey! OMG, is that snow!?
Spring has so many apparent false starts, often it looks like its spring, but no, we have been fooled by a freak sunny day or two in the spring of deception! Every year I make the mistake of thinking it is finally absolutely, definitely spring late in March after a sunny week or so, I happily swap my most wintery clothes for my least summery….Every time it is a wrong call! Maybe this year I will learn…
I hope that as spring settles in you can enjoy the ever changing garden around Emma's Yoga Hut, we are already moving away from the twiggy darkness of winter, the snowdrops, tiny early irises and crocus are in bloom, and in time they will give way to daffodils, tulips and bluebells!
There is something magical about the energy of this stop start, is it or isn’t it end of winter vibe. The hope is there, the optimism, the anticipation. And they are powerful and uplifting emotions.
We will be celebrating the tentative push and pull of springs reluctant arrival with a series of classes linked to the elements. Our mood and energy is so dependent on the slowly emerging Spring, the comings and goings of warmth and light, sun and rain, wind and stillness and the emerging plants and animals, so we will be exploring the elements with some lessons themed around air, water, fire and earth. These elements tie into different parts of our being and of our yoga practice, for example, the air element links into opening our anahata chakra – the spiritual heart centre, opening and expanding the chest and shoulders to allow us to breathe more freely. It links into speaking authenticity and living your truth.
The earth element links to feelings of being grounded, which is all about feeling safe and secure in our own bodies, essential for our calm, our happiness and wellbeing. When we aren’t feeling that safety and security we often feel scattered and off-centre which never feels great. Yoga poses focussing on the lower part of the body help create that feeling of security and belonging in our own bodies. The fire element is all about progress, action, moving forward, and growing as humans. It is linked to the core because that is where food is transformed into the energy that builds and sustains our very being. Finally, the water element is linked to creativity, relationships, seeking pleasure and having fun, its all about fluidity and play, working with opening and stretching to create space for this fluidity in the body.
Late March is also the Spring Equinox, so we will mark the equal day and equal night with sun salutations, and follow up our hard work with an extended meditation. I will be giving lots of variations for the sun salutations, we will work through variations that include yogic squats and childs pose, or cat / cow in place of the down dog through to up dog or cobra sequence. It will be made accessible to all! We will also have a spring detox session to refresh, rejuvenate and strengthen body and mind. This will include some pranayama (breath work) including the silly looking but rather wonderful lions pose, and plenty of work on twists and simple inversions to move out the old and make space for the new. To ensure proper yogic balance here, as a counter posture so to speak, there may even be some little chocolate eggs to balance out your hard work and to celebrate the Easter break!
If you feel like you need to build energy and resilience and nurture yourself gently into spring there are also 2 Sunday soothers, one in March, one in April. The March one is already fully booked up, so if you are feeling the love for some beautiful, nourishing restorative yoga and yoga nidra to end the weekend, then get yourself booked on the April session where there is one place remaining! Don’t worry if you didn't get a place, more Sunday Soothers will be coming in May and June!
I am so looking forward to seeing you back to the yoga hut in this beautiful Spring season! If you have not already booked your place, please be aware they are filling up very quickly! There are currently spaces available on Monday morning and Wednesday night.
With love,
Emma x
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