By Kat Farrants
The podcast currently has 48 episodes available.
During our lives, we might encounter a range of bigger transitions such as changing jobs, entering a new stage of life, moving and illness. But there are also more subtle transitions such as shifting from work to relaxation, the beginning and end of the weekend and returning from a holiday. Transitions, even exciting ones, can be daunting. They are filled with uncertainty and without always being conscious of it; we sometimes avoid them and what comes up for us for during them.
In yoga, we also encounter transitions, for example between time on our mat and the day as a whole; the period at the beginning of the practice before we start moving, and the period of rest at the end. With a home practice it can be especially tempting to cut out these parts. We might feel restless or find it difficult to stop and feel an urgency to move on. There are also the transitions during our practice. One example is how we get from one posture to another and how we move during our flow. Again during those times we might witness a tendency to rush through and to want to get into the posture as quickly as possible. We might feel a resistance to slowing down, exploring the space in between postures as well as holding the postures themselves.
There may be several reasons we are uncomfortable with the transitional space in life and in our yoga practise. We may have become so used to having a direction and targets that it feels unfamiliar just to be and let the experience unfold more gradually. The transitional space can sometimes feel endless and we might feel anxious about being feeling lost and directionless. During transitions we often have time for more reflection but perhaps feelings and thoughts might appear that challenge assumptions we have of ourselves, how we live and relate, and in yoga how we are approaching our practise and what we really want from it.
To manage the the transitional space we often set ourselves goals. Goals can provide a sense of control in the face of the unknown. Everything can then be evaluated and defined in terms of outcome and achievement. In our yoga practice, we might start targeting postures and become fixated on being able to do a certain posture in a certain way. As a result however, we might be less connected to what is actually happening in our body. We might not be aware for example, that we are overusing or underusing certain parts of our body or that a part of the body is starting to feel strain.
That’s why taking rest poses during our practise can be so important. Not just to rest, but to pause and take a moment to more fully connect with how we are feeling and how we might want to approach our practise. Something I often ask myself in the transitional space during practise is, “how can my practise meet me where I am right now?” We can ask the same in day to day life when we take a moment to slow down and pause – “how can life meet me where I am right now?”
When we become less attached outcomes, we can start to fully embrace the journey both in life and with yoga. Our whole experience starts to open out. Take the example of walking around day to day. Often, we are so focused on our destination (getting from a to b) that we remain unaware of what is happening around us. We might not notice the subtle shifts of seasons, the changing colours and smells and others changes to the environment. We might not notice someone who needs our help.
One thing I find helpful is to vary my walking routes. Rather than take the same route that tends to keep me on autopilot, I find consciously choosing a route that is guided by how I am feeling keeps me more connected and present in the experience of moving to my destination. I start to move slower and I become more curious. And that for me is really a key feature to transitions; that sense of being curious, open to enquiry and receiving what emerges in that space.
Similarly in yoga, I mix up my transitions and explore different ways to move in an out of postures. I used to be overly attached to the idea of doing chaturanga or focusing on the key poses that we transition through like plank and downward dog. Of course it’s important giving these postures and movements attention but there are a whole range of other subtle movements during a vinyasa transition that we can also bring attention to.
For example, the process of stepping back to plank can be just as significant as being in plank. It can provide a great opportunity to experiment with how we want to move into a pose. It is a movement we can potentially do quite softly and effortlessly or we can make it more challenging and create deep engagement by keeping our shoulders above our wrists, slowing down the pace at which we step our feet back and focusing on lightness. Suddenly, by shifting the focusing to the transition a whole range of opportunities appear and the potential to develop different strands to our practice.
I am not suggesting there is anything wrong with wanting to accomplish a certain posture or moment. As with life, dreams, aspirations and intentions are valuable. However, fixed targets can sustain us forever in pursuit. Constantly striving towards goals becomes relentless and exhausting and sometimes we lose sight of why we are doing what we are doing.
In life, many injuries and illnesses are often identified later than they could be because we are moving so fast and not stopping and taking time to listen to our bodies. We don’t notice we are tired until we feel burnt out. We don’t notice the beginning of feeling unwell until an illness emerges. It is the same in yoga when we rush into postures or try to force it. We do not give the body time to adapt and consolidate. We can become so obsessed with the final outcome and getting there as soon as possible that we are unable to hear the subtle messages along the way.
These messages might communicate that we need to pull back, make a slight adjustment or in some cases find an alternative posture. While sometimes we might get more from going deeper, just as often we can get more from integrating effortlessness and softness. Where we situate ourselves on that spectrum might vary from day to day and practice to practice. But by taking our time and focusing less on the outcome we might start to notice with more clarity what we need and when.
Engaging in transitions sometimes involves becoming more at ease with not always having a clear direction or specific goals. The idea of giving ourselves permission can be supportive here. It’s okay not to be clear about where we are heading and to not have all the answers. When we are not continually in pursuit of something it can often create space for other things to emerge. The fear might be that if we slow down we will lose time and we won’t get to where we want to be. However, it can be quite the opposite.
Slowing down can give us the gift of time. Sometimes it can lead us to places we couldn’t have even imagined or knew existed. When we are in transition, we can feel fragile, exposed and vulnerable. But it is then that we potentially discover who we really are and what we really need. Rather than focusing on our external direction, we learn to harness our internal compass and can learn to live more fluidly in the face of an external environment which is constantly changing.
One way I manage the transitional space is to really focus on my connection to the earth and my environment. I try to focus more on my sensory experience like sights, sounds and smells. I might spend more time walking in nature. Connecting to my breath helps me to slow down and sustain me in stillness.
At the beginning and end of my yoga practice, as well as various moments through the day, I close my eyes, sometimes with my hands over my heart. When I do this, it tends to bring me closer to my felt experience – the feeling of being in my body in that particular moment. This might be a break in between activities, pausing for a few moments when I get home or sitting for a few moments when I wake up. I try to notice how I am feeling; whether I am thirsty/ hungry, tense/ relaxed, sad/ happy, low/high energy, needing space or wanting connection. Usually it’s a mix of various things! It is also an opportunity to create clarity about things I am doing, my priorities and how I want to focus my energies moving forward.
Embracing the transitional space is really about embracing ourselves and all that is around us more fully. In transition, we can potentially cultivate a closer relationship to ourselves, to others and our world. It is an opportunity to be more present, connected and compassionate and to live more consciously and with more authenticity.
Clive Fogelman is a London based yoga and meditation teacher with a background in learning and development as well as psychotherapeutic work and sports coaching. Clive focuses on supporting people to cultivate intuition in their own bodies and develop greater self-awareness.
In this interview with MFML, founder of Urban Kitchen and a nutritional scientist, Toral Shah, shares her thoughts on the impact of nutrition on health and wellbeing, particularly on chronic lifestyle diseases. Discover the role nutrition plays in health optimisation, prevention of disease and in reducing the risk of disease. We also explore the importance of protein, supplements and eating a variety of foods, as well as coping strategies for difficult times.
Find out more about nutrition for sleep in our blog from Toral.
“The Brahma Vihara help us create a capacity for these qualities which open our hearts and gives us insight into the very challenging truth that nothing is permanent.”
In this episode, Mimi Kuo-Deemer shares her thoughts on yoga and buddhism. She talks about some of the lessons we can take from buddhism to help keep us happy, healthy and on track mentally. Mimi explores the Buddhist concept of Mudita, which is sympathetic joy; the antithesis of competitiveness and individuality. How can that concept help us get through trickier times and awaken our hearts to interconnectedness and letting go?
Do you want to explore all our classes, including more from Mimi? Check out all our classes for FREE for 14 days here: https://movementformodernlife.com/chooseplan
Discover Mimi’s classes on the Brahma Vihara here: https://movementformodernlife.com/yoga-class-1371-buddha-teachings-yoga-for-sympathetic-joy
“Our emotions have a chemical component, so part of what we teach is how to have some responsibility for the chemistry running through our bloodstream.”
Emotional trauma sits in all of us, but we can shift it. In this episode, we talk to Ana Forrest and Jose Calarco to get some insight into the power of ritual and ceremony for enhancing our yoga practice, which can then act as a release for emotional trauma from the body.
Ana Forrest founded Forrest Yoga, which combines the precision of Iyengar and the flow of vinyasa, but it also focuses on emotional and physical release. It’s an antidote to modern life! Ana has a pioneer spirit, so she talks about what it’s like going against the prevailing truth, how we can find our own way in the world and explore our life’s path.
With Jose Calarco, we delve into the importance of ‘vision quest’ and how music and ceremony are integral in helping us to heal.
The individual and the community (17:00)
Rituals and ceremony (21:00)
Trauma (35:30)
Breaking the ‘rules’ (42:20)
“You need to experiment, because you’re never going to grow with anything unless you experiment with it.”
Do you want to explore all our classes, including some from Ana & Jose? Check out all our classes for FREE for 14 days here: https://movementformodernlife.com/chooseplan
Discover more of Ana & Jose’s classes on Movement for Modern Life here: https://movementformodernlife.com/yoga-teacher/anaforrest
Find out more about Ana & Jose here.
“Our bodies make our decisions, and our minds simply catch up”
In this episode, we talk to Scaravelli inspired yoga teacher, Catherine Annis, about more than just functional anatomy! We discover the intrinsic link between our body and our minds through exploring our feet, our psoas muscles and our vagus nerve. So, this conversation is about the mental and emotional side of a deep physical practise; how can being aware of our bodies increase our awareness as we move through life? How can playing with our yoga practice fine tune our intuition?
“Work your feet for global peace!”
Do you want to explore all our classes? Check out all our classes for FREE for 14 days here: https://movementformodernlife.com/chooseplan
Discover more of Catherine’s classes, including those on the psoas and feet, on Movement for Modern Life here: https://movementformodernlife.com/yoga-teacher/catherineannis
Find out more about Catherine here.
“We can’t avoid the hot and cold of life, but we can work with how we experience suffering and we can find a way out if we believe we deserve it.”
Buddhism is something which fuels Adam’s practice and teaching, so in this episode, so he shares his interpretation of the teachings and how they have impacted him. Specifically, he explores the Buddhist Paramitas; what they are and how we can live by these qualities. He and Kat also discuss how yoga and Buddhism are interrelated, what they have in common and why there seem to be so many similarities between the two philosophies.
“I want to find the middle ground, where I can really push myself to do things but do I really need to go that far? What is that about?”
Do you want to explore all our classes? Check out all our classes for FREE for 14 days here: https://movementformodernlife.com/chooseplan
Discover Adam’s yoga and Buddhism classes on Movement for Modern Life here: https://movementformodernlife.com/yoga-class-1363-slow-flow-for-wisdom
Find out more about Adam here.
“However we come to the mat, there is a practice which is suited, appropriate and can support our wellbeing if we choose it.”
In this episode, we talk to the master of adaptive yoga, Frederique Sardais, about how yoga can be a truly inclusive practice for every body. We discover what adaptive yoga is and explore the meaning of inclusivity and discuss why this conversation is long overdue. Fredee has been teaching specialist yoga classes for the last eight years, for people living with disability, primarily mobility disabilities. However, we are all going to need adaptive yoga at some point in our lives, and it’s not always going to be about achieving physical poses.
Do you want to explore our gentle classes, plus pranayama and meditation? Check out all our classes for FREE for 14 days here: https://movementformodernlife.com/chooseplan
We have a range of gentle yoga classes, including those which can be done in a chair, or in bed here: https://movementformodernlife.com/challenge-yoga-gently
Plus, why not try the following…
Mediation: https://movementformodernlife.com/yoga-classes/meditation
Yoga Nidra: https://movementformodernlife.com/yoga-classes/yoga-nidra
Breath work: https://movementformodernlife.com/yoga-classes/breathing-chanting-locks-gestures
Find out more about Fredee here.
Read about Inclusive Yoga for everybody and every BODY
“We need to probe and figure out a broader definition and understanding of the sutras… we need to apply them to the way we live our lives now. “
In this episode, we are talking about Patanjali’s yoga sutras and how relevant they are to modern life. How can these ancient texts help us get through daily life and the crises we face? Kat chats with Rakhee Jasani, MFML teacher and philosophy expert, about her fascination and frustration with the old yogi texts, and answers questions on the importance of integrating philosophy into our lives to help us face everything from personal overwhelm to environmental and societal issues.
“By living in this way, our minds are clearer and maybe we are better able to see the nature of reality.”
Do you want to explore the sutras further in our philosophy course – Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life? Check out all our classes for FREE for 14 days here: https://movementformodernlife.com/chooseplan
Find out more about Rakhee here.
Do you want to explore more of Vidya’s philosophy classes – ancient wisdom for modern life? Check out all our classes for FREE for 14 days here: https://movementformodernlife.com/chooseplan
“Meditation gives us the space where you feel the reaction within you but you’re able to take a breath and see it’s ego”
In this episode Kat talks to Vidya Heisel, the founder of Suryalila about how her life has been informed by Eastern philosophy. Vidya talks about her early influences and how when she discovered Eastern philosophy and meditation at the age of nineteen, she felt like a light had gone off in her head.
Vidya talks about how she has adopted non-violent communication as a practical way in which to apply ‘ahimsa’. This skilful means of communication serves her well as a business owner when communicating with staff members who are also friends. Vidya also walks the talk and reveals the dilemmas she has faced in creating a business steeped in permaculture whilst being a vegetarian.
“Most of us need to have more compassion for ourselves than we actually have.”
Do you want to explore more of Vidya’s classes? Check out all our classes for FREE for 14 days here: https://movementformodernlife.com/chooseplan
Find all of Vidya’s classes here: https://movementformodernlife.com/yoga-teacher/vidyaheisel
Find out more about Vidya here.
Do you want to experience playfulness and explore more of Naomi’s yoga classes? Check out all our classes for FREE for 14 days here: https://movementformodernlife.com/chooseplan
Welcome to this special edition of the Movement for Modern Life podcast. In these episode, we share live meditations from our wonderful team of teachers who were part of our first home yoga retreat. These meditations, dharma talks, and Q&A sessions re fantastic tools for supporting us through difficult times. Today, we talk with the incredible Naomi Absalom about playfulness.
Naomi is brilliant at turning traditional yoga on its head and encouraging us to move in a way that is fun and feels good. Playfulness may not come naturally to all of us, especially if we’re used to alignment based classes. But getting off our mat and stepping outside our comfort zones can bring so much joy to our practice. There is no one way to do yoga! Ask yourself: “What feels good for me today?”
We will start with a chat with Naomi, followed by a lovely meditation, so find a quiet place to practice with us. We hope you find this useful and please do share it with family and friends who may also benefit from some positive tools and philosophy at this time.
Do you want to explore Naomi’s classes? Check out all our classes for FREE for 14 days here: https://movementformodernlife.com/chooseplan
Find all of Naomi’s classes here: https://movementformodernlife.com/yoga-teacher/naomiabsalom
Find out more about Naomi here.
The podcast currently has 48 episodes available.
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