This spring, we had the enjoyment of studying from Annie Carpenter at our Bondi and Fitzroy studios!
Annie created her college, SmartFlow Yoga, 15 years in the past and is lovingly often called ‘The Trainer’s Trainer’. Having spent lengthy intervals of time practising and finding out Integral, Iyengar and Ashtanga Yoga, Annie believes that there are lots of fantastic approaches to the follow and that we’ll all discover precisely what we’d like as our lives and our bodies evolve.
The dedication to follow is the essence. What we follow will broaden and mature.
One lesson from Annie’s coaching significantly drove this dwelling for me when she had us think about the probabilities that come up after we keep nonetheless for somewhat longer.
We’ve all been there. Holding Warrior 2, quad trembling, breath heavy, sweat dripping. “Another spherical of breath…!” the instructor directs, and the tip of that final exhale can’t come quickly sufficient. As a lot as we love a flowing, dynamic Vinyasa class, there are items in these moments after we keep in longer holds. After we stay within the pose for longer than we could need to, giving the form the possibility to disclose its classes to us.
Typically the lesson may very well be so simple as realising you’re stronger than you suppose. On different days, the lesson may very well be to hearken to your physique and relaxation. Should you can not hold a clean, regular cadence of breath, are you able to enable your self to take a step again so you’ll be able to return to a spot of equanimity and calm? Or are you all the time pushing for extra?
Remaining in poses for longer holds helps us really feel that dance of steadiness and ease, or what yogis confer with as sthira sukha. The place is that fringe of discovering our energy, whereas not over-efforting in methods we don’t have to?
Discovering sthira sukha, discovering steadiness, adjustments from each day, class to class, pose to pose.
In practising staying somewhat longer, you would possibly think about a number of the following:
- Can I keep when issues get onerous?
- Can I hearken to myself in deeper and extra refined methods? What do I would like immediately?
- Can I discover the quiet even in intense poses?
- Can I stay regular and calm by means of the poses I like and the poses I discover tough?
In our trendy world, we’re so usually frequently on the go, overworking ourselves and shifting from one factor to the subsequent with out pause. Yoga gives us a welcome distinction to the remainder of our lives. Repeatedly shifting on too rapidly to the subsequent factor can hold us from experiencing true pleasure, true peace, and true presence. After we enable ourselves to remain in stillness, keep within the pose maybe somewhat longer than we’re habitually snug with, that’s when the magic of yoga can unfold. If we keep nonetheless lengthy sufficient, we would additionally uncover extra about ourselves. That is one other deeper follow of yoga – self-study, or svadhyaya.
Earlier than dashing into the brand new yr with all the brand new belongings you need to begin doing immediately, think about slowing down, pausing, and asking your self:
- What’s right here proper now?
- What am I grateful for proper now?
- What’s already unfolding in entrance of me?
Yoga gives us these practices that convey us again to the current second over and over. If we need to discover the road of sthira sukha, all that’s required is that we hold unrolling our yoga mats and discovering ease within the uneasy.
Annie’s SmartFlow coaching was an exquisite reminder that oftentimes advancing our follow doesn’t imply mastering handstands or pincha mayurasana (forearm stand)!
“Whereas we could also be practising extra ‘superior’ asana, the advancing of our follow is definitely revealed by sustained refined focus and the inclusion of extra limbs of yoga,” says Annie.
Advancing our follow would possibly imply softening within the occasions after we’d normally hold pushing. It might imply including pranayama to the tip of our yoga courses. It might imply utilizing the questions above as journaling prompts, practising svadhyaya. Or, it would imply merely staying nonetheless for longer and making it to our mats extra persistently.
We hope you’ll be a part of us in 2023 (or proceed to hitch us!), deepening your understanding of this stunning follow along with us.
You possibly can be a part of our Head of Schooling and Lead Trainer Coach, Gina Brescianini, for an additional Annie Carpenter Motion Masterclass coaching utilising SmartFlow Rules in 2023! You can too discover her educating SmartFlow-themed courses in our Bondi & Manly studios.
Written by Katie Tetz
Studio Enterprise Supervisor | Ever Inspiring Author & Yoga Trainer for Energy Residing Australia
