I recently attended a Yoga training and one of the amazing offerings was noticing the 'jargon' we use in our classes. Phrases such as 'just let go,' 'let it all roll away,' 'allow yourself to become one,'....and the list continues on and on. My teacher Amy pointed out that if we are going to use a phrase such as 'just let go,' we have to offer a context to go with it. How are we inviting our students and ourselves to 'just let go?' What does that even mean?
I have certainly let these phrases roll off my tongue without much thought before. Sometimes it seems to fill a space for students, other times it feels like a canned speech. Physiologically forward folding is beneficial because it does help the body to relax, but add in a 'just let go,' and watch your class have an instantaneous thought bubble of #wtf? Ramble off this phrase to someone who is struggling with a relationship, or someone who has a long tapestry of grief in their heart. How do these three abstract words make any sense?
I'm grateful for this awareness as I look back into my own life. Some of my most profound practices have been when I didn't know how to 'just let go.' How does one in the midst of their life suddenly come into a forward fold and randomly everything just lets go? Seriously, I have to chuckle to myself as I think of this notion. The practice of Yoga perpetually invites us to unify our breath and actions towards greater alignment with the Divine. No where does it say that letting go is an instantaneous experience.
Isn't letting go an experience that happens over and over? Perhaps once we feel we have mastered it in one aspect of our lives, we are invited to step into another arena and practice this skill. Best I can tell, letting go is an art form that we perfect throughout our lives. It can be messy. It can strip us to the bone. It can cause us to wail in anguish. It can cause us to feel bewildered and lost. Some individuals seem to be hard-wired to let go, while others cling to moments, memories, and memorabilia. As we rummage through our lives, letting go seems to be a uniquely individual task.
As we begin to notice our beliefs, our values, and our thoughts, maybe we step into an awareness of what it means to 'let go.' No one knows what that looks like in our lives, but hopefully the people in our lives will offer us space and kindness to observe this practice. Tap into the magic of your life and decipher what it means to 'just let go.'
May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude,
Sarah
I have certainly let these phrases roll off my tongue without much thought before. Sometimes it seems to fill a space for students, other times it feels like a canned speech. Physiologically forward folding is beneficial because it does help the body to relax, but add in a 'just let go,' and watch your class have an instantaneous thought bubble of #wtf? Ramble off this phrase to someone who is struggling with a relationship, or someone who has a long tapestry of grief in their heart. How do these three abstract words make any sense?
I'm grateful for this awareness as I look back into my own life. Some of my most profound practices have been when I didn't know how to 'just let go.' How does one in the midst of their life suddenly come into a forward fold and randomly everything just lets go? Seriously, I have to chuckle to myself as I think of this notion. The practice of Yoga perpetually invites us to unify our breath and actions towards greater alignment with the Divine. No where does it say that letting go is an instantaneous experience.
Isn't letting go an experience that happens over and over? Perhaps once we feel we have mastered it in one aspect of our lives, we are invited to step into another arena and practice this skill. Best I can tell, letting go is an art form that we perfect throughout our lives. It can be messy. It can strip us to the bone. It can cause us to wail in anguish. It can cause us to feel bewildered and lost. Some individuals seem to be hard-wired to let go, while others cling to moments, memories, and memorabilia. As we rummage through our lives, letting go seems to be a uniquely individual task.
As we begin to notice our beliefs, our values, and our thoughts, maybe we step into an awareness of what it means to 'let go.' No one knows what that looks like in our lives, but hopefully the people in our lives will offer us space and kindness to observe this practice. Tap into the magic of your life and decipher what it means to 'just let go.'
May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude,
Sarah
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