This November, we now have the enjoyment of studying from Annie Carpenter at our Impartial Bay and Bondi studios. Discover out about Annie’s upcoming applications right here.
Annie created her college, SmartFlow Yoga, over 15 years in the past and is lovingly often known as ‘The Instructor’s Instructor’. Having spent lengthy intervals of time practising and finding out Integral, Iyengar and Ashtanga Yoga, Annie believes that there are lots of fantastic approaches to the follow and that we’ll all discover precisely what we’d like as our lives and our bodies evolve.
The dedication to follow is the essence. What we follow will develop and mature.
One lesson from Annie’s coaching significantly drove this house for me when she had us think about the probabilities that come up after we keep nonetheless for a bit longer.
We’ve all been there. Holding Warrior 2, quad trembling, breath heavy, sweat dripping. “Yet one more spherical of breath…!” the instructor directs, and the tip of that final exhale can’t come quickly sufficient. As a lot as we love a flowing, dynamic Vinyasa class, there are presents in these moments after we keep in longer holds. Once we stay within the pose for longer than we might need to, giving the form the possibility to disclose its classes to us.
Typically the lesson might be so simple as realising you might be stronger than you suppose. On different days, the lesson might be to hearken to your physique and relaxation. In the event you can’t maintain a easy, regular cadence of breath, are you able to enable your self to take a step again so you may return to a spot of equanimity and calm? Or are you at all times pushing for extra?
Remaining in poses for longer holds helps us really feel that dance of steadiness and ease, or what yogis consult with as sthira sukha. The place is that fringe of discovering our power, whereas not over-efforting in methods we don’t must?
Discovering sthira sukha, discovering steadiness, modifications from each day, class to class, pose to pose.
In practising staying a bit longer, you would possibly think about a number of the following:
- Can I keep when issues get onerous?
- Can I hearken to myself in deeper and extra refined methods? What do I would like in the present day?
- Can I discover the quiet even in intense poses?
- Can I stay regular and calm via the poses I like and the poses I discover tough?
In our fashionable world, we’re so usually frequently on the go, overworking ourselves and shifting from one factor to the subsequent with out pause. Yoga gives us a welcome distinction to the remainder of our lives. Repeatedly shifting on too shortly to the subsequent factor can maintain us from experiencing true pleasure, true peace, and true presence. Once we enable ourselves to remain in stillness, keep within the pose maybe a bit longer than we’re habitually snug with, that’s when the magic of yoga can unfold. If we keep nonetheless lengthy sufficient, we would additionally uncover extra about ourselves. That is one other deeper follow of yoga – self-study, or svadhyaya.
Earlier than speeding into the brand new yr with all the brand new stuff you need to begin doing immediately, think about slowing down, pausing, and asking your self:
- What’s right here proper now?
- What am I grateful for proper now?
- What’s already unfolding in entrance of me?
Yoga gives us these practices that carry us again to the current second time and again. If we need to discover the road of sthira sukha, all that’s required is that we maintain unrolling our yoga mats and discovering ease within the uneasy.
Annie’s SmartFlow coaching was a beautiful reminder that oftentimes advancing our follow doesn’t imply mastering handstands or pincha mayurasana (forearm stand)!
“Whereas we could also be practising extra ‘superior’ asana, the advancing of our follow is definitely revealed by sustained refined focus and the inclusion of extra limbs of yoga,” says Annie.
Advancing our follow would possibly imply softening within the instances after we’d often maintain pushing. It might imply including pranayama to the tip of our yoga courses. It might imply utilizing the questions above as journaling prompts, practising svadhyaya. Or, it would imply merely staying nonetheless for longer and making it to our mats extra persistently.
We hope you’ll be a part of us in 2024 (or proceed to hitch us!), deepening your understanding of this stunning follow along with us.
You’ll be able to be a part of our Head of Schooling and Lead Instructor Coach, Gina Brescianini, for an additional Annie Carpenter Motion Masterclass coaching utilising SmartFlow Rules in 2024! It’s also possible to discover her instructing SmartFlow-themed courses in our Bondi & Manly studios.
Written by Katie Tetz
Studio Enterprise Supervisor | Ever Inspiring Author & Yoga Instructor for Energy Residing Australia