Monthly Theme: Flourish

Flourishing is the growth and development that includes positive psychological functioning and positive social functioning or influence over our environments.

Since flourishing involves growth, it often involves change. This means that at some point we have decided to move beyond old psychological, physiological, cultural, and ancestral patterns that no longer serve us. Change is a stressor, but the practices of yoga can teach us how to stay relaxed within change. The influences on the nervous system from our practices create resilience. Flourishing also means that there is a positive influence on our environments. How can you encourage change most beneficially?

When we flourish in goodness we become more virtuous. Our actions line up with our values. This creates a ripple effect creating more goodness in our environments.

Yoga, as it is often portrayed in fitness culture, can come across as self-serving. Traditional yoga was a system to better humanity. One limb of yoga, The Yamas, encompasses ethical precepts on how we can live our yoga in the world out, especially one that is out of balance.

These five yamas are non harming(ahímsá) or love, honesty(satya), non stealing(asteya), the wisdom of our power(brahmacharya), and non-acquisitiveness (aparigrahá).

We may simply take one of these yamas as an intention for flourishing this month. For me there is often haste that can occur in my busy-ness. I recognize that haste creates harm in my environment, so I often choose to start with ahímsá, love. Jesus said “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If we practice ahímsá, we may speak more honestly, not take what is not ours, use our power to heal rather than control, and not need to consume as much from the material world. These are all the other yamas.

As you can see, even when you practice just one yama fully, you get them all.

Flourishing encompasses a patient harmony. Our minds may be impatient for our improvements, but the body is patient and prefers to move slowly. This month we will also learn to flourish in stillness in our meditation series. We will learn to move with the seasons in Ayurveda Sequencing workshop and continue to unravel old habit energies in yoga nidra. We look forward to flourishing with you this summer.

Love,

Dani