SWEETNESS: vinyasa

Mother’s Day was last weekend and I had the privilege of leading a free vinyasa flow class through my studio here in Bend, Tula Movement Arts.

I had a request for a heart-opening practice. Opening the heart: what an interesting concept. There are certain life experiences - meeting a partner, getting married, having children, making friends, getting a new pet - where this “opening of the heart” may feel easy and natural. We can step easily into a more accepting, more loving way of being. We can adopt more people into our circle, we see our family grow, we watch new life grow, and feeling this sense of ease and joy and love and expansiveness is the easiest thing in the world.

But these days may feel quite different. We are thick in the middle of a global pandemic. We have been asked to stay home, we have been asked to refrain from visiting with friends or family, we can no longer touch or hug or even step within six feet of each other. Everywhere, people are losing their jobs, struggling financially, sick, dying. Important life events have been postponed or cancelled; long-awaited trips are being called off; we may not even know when we will get to see our parents again. We may be experiencing any number of emotions: sadness, grief, frustration, fear, shock, paralysis, hopelessness, anxiety, stress, uncertainty, even a lack of ability to meet our basic needs. All of these, or something entirely different altogether. But no matter what, it is safe to say that we are all experiencing some sort of unprecedented challenge.

For some (or all), this current situation may feel like utter hell. And opening the heart, feeling love and compassion, even during these times, may feel impossible. But as Ram Dass says: can we keep our hearts open, even in hell?

One of my dear teachers, Be Shakti, speaks to the Spanish word maduro. Translated to English, it means: ripe, sweet, mature. Think of a green banana (or an unripe avocado - pick your produce). As she says, we can throw that green banana into a paper bag, but no matter what, the process of ripening takes time. It takes patience. There has to be a natural unfolding, a natural breaking down of cell walls, the proper mix of gases and chemical reactions. It cannot be forced, sped up, or beaten into submission. We simply must wait. But with that patience, and with that time - the fruit softens, ripens, sweetens. It may get some brown spots. The skin thins out. It may get misshapen or flat in places. But that is what is required, for the fruit to become ripe and soft and perfectly delicious.

These are trying times. This is also the work. I certainly don’t have all the answers. But to think of finding softness, even in all this chaos and hurt: THAT sounds like what we need to be doing. To open the heart, slowly and tenderly and patiently, so that one day - maybe - it will never close back down. To step into the flow of life, the flow of love, the flow of sweetness.

Practice here: Vinyasa Flow for Sweetness. I recommend two blocks and a yoga blanket (or any kind of blanket will do).

And if you have Spotify, please feel free to use this playlist. Or choose any music you like. Or let your own perfect breath be your playlist.

Don’t forget to subscribe to The Yogiak to stay up to date on the latest classes!

In gratitude and sweetness.

xo Amy