Turning The Dial

If I waited for the perfect conditions to practise yoga, my house would be clean, my fridge full, every email answered – I could continue to add another 100 things to the list, but we practise because we love it! Our love for the practice, our feeling for the practice, brings it to the top of our list so that when we step onto the mat or into the yoga studio to practise, it is not just another job that needs to get done, but an important, nuanced, textured, sensitive exploration.

We are sophisticated beings; we do not have a simple on and off button. When it comes to our practice, we have many gradients on our dial. We can practise slowly or quickly, we can do an easy or intense practice, we can do a few poses with long holds or a few poses with many repeats. We can challenge ourselves or do a restorative practice. We can practise salutes and jumps to get our energy up and then end with forward bends to let the energy disperse and spread through our bodies.

There are many permutations our practise can take, and each time we step onto the mat, whether at home or at a yoga studio in Melbourne, we listen to our bodies and we respond. We learn to respond to what is presented to us in that moment. Responding appropriately and sensitively is a skill we learn; we learn to take responsibility.

If we don’t listen, we are not called to respond, and when we don’t respond, we abandon any responsibility.

The practice teaches us how to respond to meet our circumstances and needs – how to become responsible for ourselves, and then how to deal with the responsibilities we choose to take on and practically those we inherit.

When we meet our responsibilities, they are not burdens, but are what give our lives meaning and purpose!

If you’re curious to explore Iyengar Yoga in North Carlton, enrol in a course at Luna Yoga today.