letting go

Make a steamy cuppa hot chocolate, pull out your mat and blankets and savor the season to let go. Please enjoy this thoughtful guest post by Julie Ransdell. Lovely words from a lovely yogini.

Let go of your attachments: your attachment to being right, to having total control, or to living forever. This process of letting go is integral to the process of becoming whole.
(Judith Hanson Lasater- Restorative yoga queen!)

It is the most perfect time of year to settle into the softer side of your yoga practice. I know I know, but you want to sweat and flow and challenge your body so that moment you rest into Svasana is all so worth it. I get it. Believe me. But maybe it would feel nice to slow down a bit.

Temperatures are dropping, nights are getting longer, leaves are changing and the universe is tapping you on the shoulder and saying, “let go. it’s time to nestle in.”

I cherish this time of year- pulling out my jeans and hoodies, spending more time at home, hot chocolate, and mums on the porch. I especially love resting into my yoga practice- pulling out my blankets and blocks, spending more time closer to the earth, folding forward, letting go, and closing my eyes.

Restorative yoga gives us the chance to linger in the quiet of our soul, providing simple rest and relaxation. But it also takes a little preparation. It’s easy for new yoga students to be intimidated by the restorative practice because of the amount of props and the quiet nature of the practice. But remember, there is no ego in the yoga practice, only love and acceptance.

Take your time with this new type of practice. Allow yourself the opportunity to take your practice to a new level. And when you notice your mind not quieting down or you find you just can’t get comfortable in that restorative forward twist- take a deep breath, let go of control and remember that with practice and time, you’ll find a place of contentment within these poses and that is what yoga is all about- calming the mind and accepting the present moment as it is.

I never thought I would love “resting” so much in my practice but oh do I ever! Making use of my props, taking the time to find comfort in each pose, letting go, and simply resting is an integral part of my practice now.

Sound like an experience you would like to try? Join Sarah Bowker and I for a restorative workshop next Friday, October 5th @ 6:30. Start your fall season nurturing yourself on the mat.