Living Your Yoga: Discovering inner peace and tranquility in a "Mindful Moment”
An early promo for an Indian Summer September Series - A Journey Within".
When not preoccupied with preaching matters of the moon, I’m found on the mat either in my home studio, or in Delft at Womanhood Studio.
Though it is August now, over here in Western Europe we are experiencing autumn-like conditions; while the rest of the world melts.
In hopes of summer to return to those of us lingering around the North Sea for holidays, I’m aspiring for a warm Indian Summer in September.
An early promo for ‘September Series: Mindful Moment - A Journey Within’ running on three Tuesdays: classes now available via Zoom!
Running 12, 19 & 26 September, classes now available via Zoom, herewith the plug for said series! Moreover because as I was writing the promotional content for the class, I found inspiration for reasons why we dedicate time to somatic practices.
Immerse yourself in mindfulness, breath work, and somatic stretch as we calm the body through the senses, training the brain for stillness.
What are somatic practices?
Happy you asked. Somatic practices refer to a broad range of approaches and techniques that focus on integrating the mind and body to enhance self-awareness, improve physical and emotional well-being while promoting personal growth.
Isn’t that how we are supposed to live our life?
In theory, yes! The word ‘soma’, is Greek translating to ‘living body’.
Often we learn to operate outside of the body, or perhaps too much within the perimeters of the brain. As a remedy, we turn to practices like meditation, to learn how to integrate the physical, mental planes while positively influencing brain health with a psychological approach embedded in self-care. An added benefit is to address the spiritual plane, but to keep things practical and simple, best to start with physical and mental first.
Further Supportive Reading …
Mindfulness:
Learning the art of remaining present in the moment. Discover how mindfulness can empower you to live with intention while building self-awareness, allowing you to experience life more fully.
Breath work:
Discovering the transformative power of the breath as you delve into various breathing techniques that can help regulate the nervous system, reduce stress, and induce a state of tranquility. Explore the connection between the breath and emotions, and learn how to harness this connection to create a sense of balance and calmness.
Somatic Stretching:
Experience the graceful union of movement and mindfulness with somatic stretch. Gentle stretching and flowing movements designed to connect you with your senses, release tension, and increase body-mind awareness. Through somatic stretching, you will develop a profound sense of fluid physical embodiment.
Calming the Body:
Discover practices that soothe your nervous system and release physical tension, allowing you to experience a deeper level of relaxation and serenity: shaking the body intentionally, dancing, tapping, humming, to name a few.
Exploring Through the Senses:
Engage your senses to immerse yourself fully in the present moment. Embrace the beauty of the present moment through sensory exploration, fostering a greater appreciation for the simple joys of life.
Training the Mind to Be Still (aka ‘Meditation’):
Learn to tame the busy mind and cultivate a peaceful inner sanctuary through guided meditation and mindfulness exercises. Develop the ability to observe your thoughts without judgment, allowing space for clarity and insight to emerge.
A few modern-day practices:
yoga asana
breath work
dance/movement
tai chi & qigong
MEDITATION!
These practices can be used for various purposes, such as stress relief, personal growth, trauma healing, improving physical health and fostering a deeper mind-body connection.
Even for readers not joining this series, this is good input to have in your memory bank.
Keep coming back!
Namatse xx
Audra
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