Shala is a sanskrit word meaning “home”. A yoga shala is a gathering place for people to practice, share, experience and grow. A sacred safe place where we can hold space for transformation, contemplation and acceptance. Together we move to strengthen the unity of body, mind, and spirit. Each class offers a creative dynamic series of poses blended together with breath, music, inspiration and self expression. The safety haven of our shala ensures that we can collectively and individually explore our full Self, for the lightness and the dark, joy and pain, stress and rest. We work towards dissolving the ego, accepting that which we cannot change, to let go of resistance and create space for radical transformation.
Often at the start of a Yoga class, we sit in a comfortable seated position, Sukhasana. Sukha, meaning comfort, lightness and pleasure, and asana meaning posture or seat. This is an embodied expression of home, a place where one can come to find ease and lightness, yet at the same time also feeling safe and supported physically, mentally and spiritually -
From Sukhasana, we can nurture Sthira - steady alertness from which to explore the Whole Self. Beginning with a sense of Sukumara, we can cultivate a sense of childlike curiosity to all that arises within our mind and body, and create acceptance to to the full expression of the thoughts, feelings, beliefs and energies that arise within us. Becoming a gentle observer of Self, we can begin to more authentically reflect upon the experiences of our lives, and the inner perceptions that form our sense of Self, our Ego.
The journey through which our physical and mental Self takes in life is one of FEELING. We FEEL our way through the world. We are embodied and embedded in an external world that is full of rich sensory experiences, upon which we can act - both mentally and physically. The action choices that we make are influenced by our perception of this sensory world - we create stories that make sense to us regarding the events that have taken place. These stories are perceptions of a felt sensory experience - neither real nor unreal. Our perceptions are narratives that help shape and guide us along our journey. Sometimes these narratives and actions are helpful, sometimes not, but from them we can always learn, grow and change.
If we observe our whole Self and our narratives without judgement - not grasping, nor holding, fixing or ignoring, we can find peace in the present moment. It is what it is - we can let go of resistance to our stories, perceptions and experiences and start to allow, to accept and to let go of all that we cannot control. Herein lies the key to overcoming suffering and pain.
To think of this in energetic terms, this is a reflection of the prana within and around us. Between the body and the mind or between the material or physical energy and mental energy, there is prāṇa which is a powerful link between the two. It is neither the body nor, the mind. We can think of prana as our vitality, or vital energy, ‘that which is infinitely everywhere’ ( T.V Desikachar, Heart of Yoga) and flows continuously within us, keeping us alive. Prana is the expression of our Purusha (true consciousness) and it is it, which embeds and extends us into our world and collective universal energies.
If prana is not able to flow freely, it can cause blockages that cause disruption to the flow of prana, particularly when we have more prana outside of our body than within (Yoga Yajnavalkya). These blockages, or granthi (knots) occur in both the body and the mind, manifesting as illness, disease and suffering, lack of motivation, confusion, depression, restlessness, breathing difficulties etc.
Pranayama, (ayama meaning to stretch or extend) is the practice of focusing attention on the breath. Regular practice of pranayama can clear the mind, and help us become authentic self observers. While pranayama helps facilitate the flow of our prana, it doesn’t merely enter and exit as we inhale and exhale. Prana enters the body when there is a positive change in the mind, body, and Self. Change in our mind affects the breath, and change in the breath affects our mind.
Yoga practice is an embodied expression of our full Selves - mind, body and spirit. A journey of the Self, through the Self, to the Self. While prana flows within and around us, continuously, ceaselessly, endlessly - we can come back to our home again and again - our seat, our safe place, our selves. Home never leaves us, we never leave it . No matter where we may travel or how much we may change, we can find steady lightness and alertness within the chaos, disorder and randomness of life.
We come home to our Self.