Yin Yoga Journey & Takeaways

 

Wowza, my 100hr yin yoga teacher training has been a whole journey. (No wonder, when it happened exactly between the full moon lunar eclipse & the new moon eclipse- it felt like we were in a vortex)

 

First of all, I didn’t realise how helpful yin yoga is to reaching a level of relaxation in which your body can truly relax. To bring your central nervous system to such a minimum, your body can initiate its own healing powers. That by doing this, you give a sign to your body and say ‘hey, it is okay now to let go. Whatever it is that is stuck or that wants to be seen, it is okay and safe now to surface.’ Because you also bring your mind into a different state, it is not getting in the way as much. And so yin can definitely also be intense. It can also bring you deep inside yourself and show you things that are not always easy to look at, but that want to be seen and released. 

 

I have two big takeaways from what this training has brought me, which are: the importance of (radical) acceptance & presence.

 

During one of the practices, I noticed I was in resistance mode. Big time. My mind wouldn’t shut up, and I was fighting it, making it only worse. Then I asked myself, “what is going to help me right now?” and the word that came through was ‘acceptance’. As simple as that, but at the same time fcking difficult. Ok. So I told myself, ‘just accept where you are’. Accept the resistance. Accept your mind. And the moment I did accept, wow, a deep breath filled me up and I felt myself dropping more into my body. By just accepting where I was, I opened something. And it showed me such an important thing- that wherever you are in your life/journey/process etc, and you feel resistance or notice yourself fighting the situation, tell yourself to accept it. Because from that place, change can happen. I noticed it. Acceptance gives such a sense of calmness, and also relaxation in your body. Because at that moment, everything is ok as it is. 

 

The second takeaway is the importance of presence. Being present with yourself and in yourself. During this training, we had a few moments of ‘free flow’. Meaning that there was no guidance, but you were invited to listen to your body and let her show you the movements, to show you what felt good or what she needed at that moment. The first time we had to do this, I panicked a bit. “I don’t know what my body needs or how to allow intuitive movements.  I mean, of course, it takes time to grow that relationship. And then, our teacher said ‘When you don’t know, just ask your body’. As simple as that. And it works! I asked my body what she needed, and very gently, she answered. Your body always answers, it is up to you to trust & listen. To be present. Because when you are not present when you are ‘in your mind’, it makes no sense. And let that exactly be the hardest part for me. This discrepancy between my body and mind. I can tell my body to move in whatever way she wants, but when I am not present, it makes no sense and to me, it also creates a sense of unsafety. Being present with every move, with everything that is going on inside you, makes you feel safe. It is this healthy inner masculine quality that is so necessary. I have been practicing with it, and during the moments that I was able to be fully present, it was so so beautiful. 

 

My intention for this training was to not be afraid anymore to drop fully into my body. And there were a few moments when that happened and when I allowed myself to fully drop in. And instead of feeling fear, it felt more like a homecoming. I've experienced feeling safe within my body for one of the very first times and it felt amazing. It created a ripple effect and now I am experiencing moments where I realise how fucking magical it is to have a body! To have fingers, wow! To see things, to hear things, to feel, to hear, to smell! That in itself is a miracle. It is epic, to be human. 

I am feeling so grateful for what this teacher training has brought me. 

 

And YES, also the teaching part. Although it wasn’t such a big part of the training, it definitely sparked something inside of me. I really enjoyed teaching and so this journey will def continue, hihi. Stay tuned!

 

I love you,

 

Florine