"You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves."
- MARY OLIVER -
As we cross past the threshold of Imbolc (midway between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox) signalling the end of of short, dark days and emergence towards longer, lighter and brighter days... I think back to to magic of last Spring when my wonderful big brother chose to read the words above to me, Jamie and 200 of our family and friends, as we got married in the woods in Perthshire on Beltane (May 1st).
They feel like the perfect words to share in my first blog as they beautifully encapsulate the ethos of Nature Of Yoga and the foundations from which all my teaching and inspiration is drawn from. The magic and wildness of Nature and our place in it. It is from one of my favourite poems 'Wild Geese' by Mary Oliver [Click HERE to hear Mary herself read it to you). Her words offer us a firm reminder that nature waits for no one and despite hard times, set backs, low moments or challenges we might be faced with... life goes on. Every moment is precious and wild and ever changing. It is up to us to seek out and notice the beauty and enchantment in every day as they pass us by. Everything is as it should be, and we must find the courage to turn inwards, to build our relationship with nature and to follow our hearts for all the guidance we seek is already in us and all around us. It has been a long, dark, windy and cold Winter here in Scotland. We have all been through some challenging times as a global family and most of us are under no illusions that there may lie plenty more challenges up ahead. Yet yesterday, Valentine's Day, a day where we celebrate and acknowledge LOVE above all else (as we can choose to do every day) it is still cold and crispy but as the sun radiate from the sky I took myself to my favourite Loch and lay down in the grass to bathe in the sensational afterglow only a harsh, bracing and invigorating ice-y plunge is capable of generating. I was reminded that the sun is on her way back, the days are getting longer and no matter what grief, despair or demands life throws at us we can always deepen our relationship with Nature to support us in all the ways we need, to strengthen our resilience, to balance our nervous system and ultimately to remind us every day of our inextricable place in the 'family of things.'
As we take a moment to celebrate LOVE and the arrival of Spring, give yourself permission to slow down, to let the mind and body 'love what it loves', to have the courage to follow your bliss, to prioritise self-care and self-love over and above everything else. It is this and only this that will enable us to listen, to be there for our body and mind, and for others when they need us. Through commitment to self-love and self care and our ever evolving relationship with ourselves and the natural world around us we can cultivate our strong, resilient and wild nature to carry us through whatever challenges life throws our way!
Breathe. Move. Trust. Spring is on the way!
The more we let go, the more we will be supported.
Celebrate the return of Spring with me in Perth on Saturday Feb 25th 3-6pm
YOGA - CACAO CEREMONY - BREATH-WORK - TREE MAGIC - GUIDED VISUALISATION
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