Taking back control

Weapon of mass distraction or a force for good? Essentially thats up to you.

I have been thinking about how to do this, video seems to be the media de jour, and it is a fast and effecitve method of communicating to a large group, it conveys emotion, and it makes us feel connected. However, it is another false interaction, its basically just me, talking back at my own reflection. And that goes against what I’m trying to get across.

So I’m sat at my laptop, thnking about my words, my turn of phrase, and I’m thinking about how share with you whats been going on.

As most of you know, I have recenty taken a breath. I have been absent, I havent been videoing classes, I havent been on our social media channels, many of you who have messaged me know that I havent been present at all.

So, first thing to say, sincerely, and humbly, is thank you. Thank you to each and everyone of you who allowed me to be in crisis for a moment or two without putting any pressure on me to be any different. I reached a point where I needed to switch focus, and you guys have been incredible in allowing me the space to do that.

I reached a point of crisis, I was not enjoying teaching yoga, I was making mistakes, I was comparing myself to others, I was overly self critical, I was not serving you in the way I always try to. I was out of control.

So I decided that I had to take back control, and that got me thinking.

See, I have no control to take back, whatever I chose to do, the whirlwinds would continue to swirl around me, my choice was whethr or not I participated in the chaos.

So I switched off, I chose not to participate, I chose not to become part of the chaos, I limited my time on social media, I put my smart phone in a drawer, I sat and journalled, with a pen, and paper, I planned in a notebook, I watched tv, I rediscovered the joy of being present, and connecting to the choices I was making.

Now I’m not asking you to relinquish all of those modern conveniences that are designed to (and very good at) making our lives easier, but I am asking you to be mindful of how this force for good, can also become a weapon of mass distraction.

News happens, emergencies happen, good things happen, I didnt miss any vital messages or news flashes in absentia, I simply chose when and how I responded to them. I’m not there yet, but I’m a hell of a lot better than I was, I’m present, I’m engaging, and I’m smiling.

I picked up the land line, and I reached out to my family, and rather than a few words via a whatsapp message, we had proper conversations that lasted hours rather than seconds, I finally got my garden cleared, and I felt less tense and tight.

Im going to continute to follow the routine I am building for myself, and I am going to keep tweaking it, improving it, and I am going to keep “showing up”.

When you next feel trapped, tight, tense, when you are bing controlled by endless news cycles, screen scrolling and sedation, dont think you are helpless, ask yourself does this connection serve you, I imagine the answer will be no, so turn off your phone, put on your favourite music, grab your favourite book, and start showing up for yourself.

It’s not selfish, its essential.

I’m going to start building a workshop around what Im learning as I explore my own sanity and as I strive to become a higher performing person.

But I wanted to reach out in a personal way, to say with my own considered words, Thank you all, for being awesome.

Humble Warrior isnt just a space to make shapes, its a space to make friends, make changes, make resoutions.

So I Promise to all of you, my friends, that both I and Humble Warrior will continue to change for the better, and I resolve to stay present, to stay here for you, as I know all of you have been here (and will continue to be in the future) here for me.

If you messaged me a kind word, an article you knew would help, then truly, truly, Thank you. I will start reading through them today, but I will be taking my time to digest, and appreicate, not just to skim.

The love, and light inside me, is, as ever, drawn to, and guided by the love and light in each and every one of you.

See you on the mat soon guys.

Iain.

XxXx

Knee deep in Yoga, Ankle deep in Ahimsa

Anyone who has practiced with me over the past 2 months knows, I have a bad knee.

I tell everyone; as often as I can. I steal every opportunity to remind you all that I am a poorly boy.

Some of you have even seen me unable to move away from my teaching mat as the knee joint I am so protective of, locks and I am immobilised.

The reason I have made such a showing out of telling you I have a sore knee, is not that I want your sympathy, but because I want you to honour your bodies in the same way I have been trying to honour mine.  I want you all to accept injury, to work with it, and not against it. This idea of self-compassion and tenderness towards yourself seems straightforward and sensible, but it’s hard in every-day life, when we have deadlines to meet, pressures to perform, and lives to live.

What is Ahimsa?

Ahimsa is a Yama. The Yamas are 5 of Yoga’s moral and ethical codes that we as yogis should try to embrace and live by. These Yamas are one of the 8 limbs of Yoga which were written and laid out in the Yoga Sutras, which is an ancient Yogic text.

Simplistically, Ahimsa is Kindness, to most of us, the idea of non-violence, seems fairly straight forward, you don’t go around picking fights, or being cruel to others, so you are good at Ahimsa!

But how often do you put yourself down, put yourself second, work longer than you should, harder than your body can cope with?

Now ask yourself again whether you are good at Ahimsa? Maybe, you can say yes, but I suspect secretly you understand that non-violence to other earthly creatures is the easy part of Ahimsa and that being kind to yourself constantly, consistently is the real challenge.

I am on a path to rehabilitation and recovery, and over these past few sunny days have even been able to walk my dogs further and longer, a sure sign I am on the mend. But my journey back to this point has been long and at times painful.

I’ve discovered that It’s always better to prevent injury to your body by living a life full of kindness and compassion to yourself as well as to others, but when (if) you do injure yourself, it’s important that you take the time to allow yourself to heal properly.

Next time you are on the mat, and you are struggling to reach the depths of a pose your ego strives for, come back to kindness, find a prop, ask for help, work with a modification and allow yoga to sink inside your body slowly. Practice and live with Ahimsa as you relinquish the ego.

Yoga for healthy knees.

As part of my recovery, I started to research Yoga for my knee injury, I knew Yoga could help me recover if I gave it the chance, and alongside other therapies, my knee injury (A Medial Collateral Ligament tear) is almost healed, I know there are things still beyond my ability at the moment, but I know in time, they will come back to my practice, and until then, I will continue to strengthen other parts of my body, I will build my breath, and explore my mind.

If you are suffering from knee pain, first of all seek professional help and advice, then maybe try some of these stretches at home or in the studio to see if you too can start to rehabilitate, and remember to take the option with the prop, to use those things we offer you first of all, and then settle into a deeper stretch as your body can accept the deepening.

In all of these poses, it is important that the knee leads the way, and that our focus sits with the knee throughout the entire journey, never allow the knee to roll into, or away from its natural line. The knee is designed to be stacked above the ankle and foot, if we start to move the knee away from this natural point, the strain, weight, and risk of injury increases. All of these poses can be modified to lighten the load and lengthen the journey to recuperation, Ask Iain next time you are in the studio how these poses could help you to strengthen your balance, feel more grounded in your standing poses, and how you can build strength to prevent injury before it happens with just a small amount of Ahimsa, and body awareness.

Yoga sounds cool, but…..

autumn forest

As a Yoga teacher, I hear all the time, I’m not flexible, I’m not strong, I’m too old, my mind is too busy.

I spend hours in classes and planning classes trying to reach and teach the next more challenging pose, the next instagram worthy hand balance. I felt like to be a good yogi and an inspriring teacher that I had to be strong and bendy and push my classes hard, make you sweat! In truth, all Ineeded was to be patient, resillient, and curious.

So when I dreamt of creating Humble Warrior Yoga, I wanted to create a safe space for your curiosity to come alive, for your patience to settle, for your abilities to flourish slowly, softly, naturally. I want you to figure out along the way what yoga is to you and why you need it. I want you to be given the space and time to have a moment of awakening each time you step onto your mat.

At Humble Warrior Yoga, you are invited to release your pre-conceptions, excuses and expectations. Asked to commit to a practice and accept that at times it will push you beyond your limits, accept that sometimes you will question your body, your breath, your abilities ask whether or not Yoga is for you.

Then we will bring you back to stillness. We will sit and settle back into our breath. Through varied, frequent practice, we will all build the resillience to learn to enjoy those moments of enquiry and doubt.

We will get up, come back, and take the next step towards our yoga.

Will we get bendy? Yes.

Will we get strong? Yes.

Will our bodies change? Yes.

Will we better handle and understand our emotions? Yes.

Are these reasons to practice yoga? Maybe. At first.

Are these the ultimate goals of our practice? Probably not after a few weeks of sticking with it, falling down and getting back on the mat.

Allow the body and mind to be manipulated by yoga, as much as the body and mind feel like they need to manipulate yoga to fit our ideas of what it should be.