The Art of Expanding
Summer: Yin Yoga & Embodiment of the Fire Element - the energy of the heart
This gathering is a pause from busyness, to explore our bodies, restore our energy, and enjoy our embodied universes of thought and feeling huddled together in a finite space.
After the Spring encouraging growth and wisdom, the Summer's fire matures the blossoms. Summer relates to ripening, fulfilment, maximum Yang energy. We love the light days, the warmth of the sun, and we feel creative, expansive, full and inspired in all ways.
When we're in balance our primary fire organ - the heart - is open and we can be full of joy, when we're out of balance we can become restless or withdrawn, feeling all of that irritable and easily ignited fire.
We’ll work with yin poses and meditation, to tune in to fire energies and make space physically and emotionally for the warmth of summer Chi (energy) to fill our being. Our fire element practices bring us towards deep listening, to our own bodies and their secrets, enriching love and warmth, the beauty of friendships and the divine spirit (Shen) which animates our life. We can awaken our fire, understand its boundaries, nourish our heart and find what we love the most, openly and skilfully.
The positions of Yin Yoga affect meridian orbits in a positive direction, and gives us a deeper understanding of our inner workings, so we learn to self-regulate more efficiently. Like a network of rivers nourishing a landscape, the meridians are channels through which energy flows, forming a matrix within which the physical body functions and communicates with the energetic body; our emotions and intellect.
We can embody the qualities and feelings that we find, using our energy in mindful movement to embrace what we encounter in these elemental practices, creating a more intimate relationship with ourselves and whats around us, moving through emotions and regenerating as needed.
Breathe, rest when needed – pause, and get ready to begin again…
Indulge yourself in a softening, embodied three-hour practice filled with felt experiences, through gentle Qigong-inspired movement, yin yoga, and long steady restful poses to rebalance. Wear comfy clothes, bring your journal, and prepare to be inspired by your inner fire.
Yin yoga & the five elements
Like a network of rivers nourishing a landscape, the meridians are the channels through which qi (chi) flows, to nourish and energise the human body like rivers nourish the Earth. Collectively, the meridians form the matrix within which the physical body functions and communicates with the energetic body. The positions of Yin Yoga affect our meridian orbits in a positive direction, and gives us a deeper understanding of our inner workings, so we learn to self-regulate more efficiently. We can embody the qualities and feelings that we find, using mindful movement to embrace what we encounter in these elemental practices, creating a more intimate relationship with ourselves and whats around us, moving through emotions and regenerating as needed.
Taoism believes that each of the five elements has the ability to draw us towards stronger emotions, behaviors (reaction/action – situation-led), tendencies (frequency of behaviour), attitudes (thoughts/feelings - experience-led), activities, moods, energies and overall health.
Miz • @natarajayogauk
Miz has practiced and studied yoga for almost 20 years, qualifying in various aspects of the practice; Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Sequencing, Embodied Yin & Functional Yin, as well as Tantric Philosophy, Qigong, and Somatics & Restorative Practices. Her classes are about connection, within and from the practitioner, embracing flow and the natural world through steady vibrational energy.
