At the end of each class everyone lies on their back or sits up in their chair and I lead folks in a sort of body scan of relaxation, starting at the feet. (If you fall asleep, no one cares, but we might do our best impression of your snore.) When we get to your fingertips I say something like this –
“Practice letting go here. Practice letting go of the conversations and the assumptions, the decisions and the unanswered questions that are not yours to carry around anymore. Practice loosening your grip on all that is beyond your control. Practice letting go of the work that is not yours to do.”
It may sound a little redundant to say “practice” at the start of each phrase, but that’s how it works for me. Letting go of all that and more is not a one and done activity. Usually it’s the same exact shtuff that I’m letting go. I’m practicing as in it’s a daily practice; like brushing your teeth. No one expects to get So Good at brushing your teeth that one day you never have to do it again. But, I think — because I feel it in me — that there is this expectation that we should be getting better at forgiveness and letting things go that trip us up so that we never bottle up our emotions or have sleepless nights, anxiety, depression, resentment, chronic pain – whatever else.
The next Saturday Morning Yoga retreat is all about this. It’s about forgiveness in the plainest sense of the word — not holding “it”. We aren’t going to talk about the specifics of what all the (sh)It is for you, honestly. We will do a whole bunch of yoga to ease up the vice grip our minds have on us… We’ll chat a little…We’ll eat some snacks… Do some more yoga…Lie on the ground a long time. Doesn’t that sound nice? I promise there will be no one Shoulding on you about you from me or anyone else. Absolutely no shoulding on the yoga mat. The retreat is next Saturday, May 6th, 9a.m.- noon, at Uni Place Church (Springfield & Wright) in their sweeeeet little chapel in the middle. $20 if that works for you. If it doesn’t work right now, pay what does. Bring a yoga mat, a blanket, and a bottle of water. Know that you need to be able to get up and down from the floor with relative ease. Please register by simply emailing me, Rachel, at dailybreadyoga@gmail.com. And please invite your friends!
Peace on your head,
Rachel
