She Asked Me to Not Call It Ashtanga... I said No. (And it led me to create something new for those ready to return, differently).

Yesterday, I received an email from a kind lady asking me to teach Gentle Yoga at her institute.

There was just one small request: "I would prefer not to use the name Ashtanga Yoga.”​ Sigh. We've still got that reputation. Ashtanga can't be gentle, right!​ That's funny, and sad. ​And I still love to stay in this practice, and this practice only. So, I said no to her. ​​ Again, I thought, there's a lot of work to do. I want people to know this precious practice with all it's qualities and possibilities and depth.​Let it be gentle when needed. And firm, when needed.

Allow it to be transformative. Not just gentle.​​

And after all, as with any powerful tool, the problem is not in the practice. It's in how we use it. Like a knife that you can use to do harm or to carve something beautiful.​To carve out something beautiful from a piece of wood, you have to use the knife carefully, and you have to stay very present. You have to practice a lot to develop the skill of carving.​​

​Many times, self-judgement is like the sharp edge of a knife that does harm inside the practice. ​We feel like failures when we're not able to "perform" like was set in the six-day-a-week idea of a good Ashtangi manual back in the nineties.​We feel a slight disappointment landing when our body feels stiff on a cold winter morning. 

Something in the mind says: you shouldn't be tired. Why are you stiff? ​And in the winter we forget how everything feels different in the spring when we're ready to start again.​

​Now, we're officially in the spring season and it's a great time to start the practice again. ​And if you're one of those, who have been keeping up with the practice throughout the winter, it's a good time to consciously start growing something new.​ What kinds of new sprouts would you like to grow now and gently attend? In life and inside your practice?​​​

As April begins, I'm starting a new practice container called The Practice of Returning.​ Returning, because it's about returning home, to yourself, and to the natural spaciousness and wisdom you already have inside. ​

​The Practice of Returning moves in seasonal cycles just like nature. Each cycle lasts 8 to 12 weeks, and along with these cycles, we want to respect the changes in nature and in ourselves, instead of fighting against them.​​​​

Read more about The Practice of Returning here and the Seasonal Cycles here. And enjoy your practice, with all it's qualities!

-Heidi

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