Becoming
Autumn is arriving. A shift of energy. A change in pace. Perhaps you have noticed it too?
The cosy blanket of darkness hugging the borders of daytime either side coming closer together, slowly. An enveloping of warmth and support providing permission to finally surrender the intensity of summer. There is beauty here. A softness and tenderness that establishes better balance between doing and rest. Reminding us of the impermanence of everything. Seasons and sunshine, thoughts and feelings. Just as we arrive at where we think we need to be, the circumstances change, yet again we have to adapt to re-establish a sense of homeostasis whether it be physical, mental or emotional. Whilst this constant pulsation of change is unstoppable, us humans have a tendency to grasp and cling to certainty. Nature repeatedly demonstrates how to be fluid and easeful - the growth of trees, gusts of wind, the turn of the tides - yet we seem to have forgotten how intrinsically a part of nature we are, and that this smooth adaptability is already within us too.
Just as certain animals hibernate through Winter, we require periods of retreat to be quiet and contemplative. Just as snakes shed their skin to release dead weight that no longer represents who they are, we go through periods of transformation.
The word ‘Becoming’ is often reserved for Springtime. For when flowers start to bloom and colour popcorns a landscape mute with grey clouds. Yet becoming is not just about beauty and blooming. To become requires foundations and roots. To become requires an establishment of what already is. Of delving deep within the well of ourselves to see what lies beneath the surface which is tainted by the noise and distractions belonging to the outside world. Autumn provides an unhurried fertile ground for the process of becoming.
It is a journey that requires curiosity and compassion. To notice when the mind gets distracted by our own internal stories and narratives. Entering into a melodrama of the mind so disentangled from the present moment it is like time travel to an alternate reality. To notice how distant or separated we have become from life in the hear and now.
Landing back in the bones of our being and rooting further into Mother Earth can feel like a homecoming when we have the tools to cultivate self-forgiveness rather than being burdened by guilt, frustration, sadness or shame. These are just more layers of clutter blurring the reality that we are exactly as we need to be. Here and now.
Can we traverse the landscapes of our own inner realms to tidy up that which has become fractured and separate from our inherent oneness?
This journey of becoming is a dance. An internal beat and rhythm that guides rather than logic or thought of the mind. It is a reconfiguration of a puzzle. The pieces aligning on their own so that we resist the urge to grasp onto the finished picture. For like a mirage in the desert just as you arrive it will dissolve again. This is part of the play. To join the dance even when the rhythm or the beat is unknown but to trust that by surrendering our tight grip of needing control we land in our own becoming with an ease and gentleness that is always available. Just as the breathe is always moving in and out. So do we; move in and out. Into ourselves. Out of ourselves. Into the world. Out of the world. Until we realise that these boundaries themselves are invisible borders we can also dissolve. Becoming completely one with it all once more.
New Yoga Offering!
Becoming - A six week exploration of oneness.
An invitation to join me every Wednesday evening at 6:30pm - 7:45pm for six weeks at Sunnyside Barn, East Grinstead. We will use the tools and practices of yoga to establish a sense of becoming within ourselves and the world around us as we transition into the season of Autumn.
Over the course of six weeks you can expect to be led through yoga asana (postures and movement), pranayama (breathing practices) and meditation in order to traverse the landscape of our individual inner worlds. Building capacity to notice and maintain awareness on the arising and dissolving of thoughts, emotions and physical sensations we will establish a calmer and more grounded sense of being. Becoming less reactive to the world around us and our own inner dialogue, you will notice how by joining me on this enquiry of becoming a pervading sense of ease and fluidity will permeate. Inviting you to dance with the movement of life rather than resist or control it. We will cultivate a lens of curiosity and compassion in a private group of maximum 12 people.
Details:
Time frame: A fixed container of 6 sessions over 6 weeks commencing Wednesday 17th September (limited to just 12 spaces)
When: Wednesday evenings 6:30pm-7:45pm
Where: Sunnyside Barn, East Grinstead, RH19 4AT
Price: Six 75 minute sessions over 6 weeks for £75
Mats and blocks are provided as well as a warm, nurturing environment diffused with natural essential oils.
Message Steph on WhatsApp 07554665300 with any questions.