Surrender and Peace

OFF THE MAT

Weekly Thought Offering:
I must have decided wrongly because I am not at peace.
I made the decision myself, but I can also decide otherwise.
I want to decide otherwise, because I want to be at peace.
I do not feel guilty, because The Universe will undo all the
consequences of my wrong decision if I let Her.
I choose to let her.

~A Course in Miracles~

Weekly Journal Prompts:
I am trying on my own to________
If I was able to give this up to someone/thing else to handle for me it would feel…
I surrender to that which is greater than me because…

Weekly Mantra:
I welcome peace into this moment I surrender to a plan that is better than mine

Hello Sadhakas!
This week is just a simple prayer to welcome our first week of bow pose. Bow pose is a shape that many of us can find really challenging. It asks us to open our hearts, and our hips, and move in the opposite direction our desk/bike/baby bound bodies are used to. But this sweet shape is also here to remind us of the full spectrum of our Selves. We are not what we have already decided we are or are not. We are not only the things we have already decided to be true. We are so very, very, much more.

ON THE MAT
THIS WEEKS FLOW

This week ON THE MAT we look directly to the ability to open the thoracic spine. The heart space is the key space to making this backbend balanced and even. We will work strength in the back. That strength will allow lengthening in the front. That strength will allow the surrender of the front. There is the crazy cool thing about “stretch”. What we feel as “stretch is really the release of tension from a muscle. We cannot “do” a stretch. Some outside force has to create the action. It happens by finding the best way to totally surrender. ON THE MAT that might be by activating the opposing muscle group. It might be the utilization of gravity, or an outside source (a.k.a. a teacher or partner or prop). In the practice we will play with them all.

OFF THE MAT we will explore the same. We cannot release tension/fear/worry/stress/anxiety by staying in the space of the mind where those thoughts are being generated and allowed to grow. We must find ways to shift into our true Self and a key way we do that in the yoga practice is surrender. Surrender to that which is greater than us. Name it whatever you will, but even just the thought of allowing someone or something else to take that which is hurting you and fix it. It feels really calming, doesn’t it? We all know deep down that there is something bigger at work here. Something that causes the sun to rise, and our hearts to beat, and babies to be born with no help from us whatsoever. We have all had moments in our life where things click into place in such a way that we are struck with awe. This week try actively surrendering the hard stuff and asking for guidance from Source. Instead of trying to it all ourselves, we will ask for a plan to be revealed and see that it is so (maybe not in the way we had planned so be on the look out for surprises ;)). My bet is you’ll be amazed at what comes next.

With Great Respect and Love,

Nicole