#embodimentconference

While working from home has lost its original lustre, attending sessions from the #embodimentconference between yoga classes, business mentoring sessions with #laurier and #rhyzeventures was spectacular. It is by far one of the biggest, widest reaching conferences that I have ever attended. Getting to sit and listen to teachers I have admired and studied for generations is inspiring and a honour at the same time. I felt blessed to be able to sit in my sunroom and share space with those who have dedicated their lives to the study of embodied practices, philosophy, ethics, anatomy and so much more. Witnessing the work with @AlannisMorrissette, @MarkWalsh and others willing to put themselves out there for all of us to learn and grow.

The #embodimentconference is an outgrowing of what began for me as a child. I learned that music, movement and …. space could help me be with my world in a way that was less … fractured. I found my way to dance classes, aerobics classes, trained to teach movement and life led me along a path of healing the early wounds and developing tools to manage the traumas that have come and gone.

I have heard praise and I have heard criticism of the organizers of the conference. I say it is a hard job to be human and flawed. It is important for everyone to be aware of power dynamics in all relationships and maintain good space. There were awesome presenters, ordinary presenters and some who were really just not for me. Regardless of the flaws the conference brought us all together to learn, listen, move, discuss, explore, grow and bring back into our lives, families, communities a little bit more of what the world is doing about “being here now”. I am grateful, I am awake and present. I am ready to learn more. Currently reading “The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel Van Der Kolk and “Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage” by Pamela Dyson and have a long list of books to read, videos to watch and courses to take.

So much to unpack. I hope to see you in class in the coming weeks as we share the unpacking of depth work in movement and relaxation. We are sharing Integrative Breathwork live in studio at Sayza Hot Yoga and online for those who would like to practice with us. Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 1pm. The experiences of the conference have encouraged me to offer this work live online and continue to support our community with the tools of embodiment.

The conference is open and free again this weekend. https://theembodimentconference.org

Here is a link to an important open letter to you, me, Mark Walsh the conference … https://medium.com/@tadahozumi/public-letter-to-mark-walsh-and-the-embodiment-conference-ab9319ee4b69

Thinking, moving, remembering to smile and let it go. What can I let go of and still be here now…..

Deep Relaxation in the Time of COVID19

In the time of COVID19. We are under daily threat of life, income, homeschooling and more.  This constant stress, conscious and/or unconscious is triggering our sympathetic nervous system and a deep breath from time to time may not be enough at this moment in time to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (our rest and digest system).  

We need to relax completely at least once a day. This is not watching Netflix, reading a book, knitting or going for a walk.  Relaxation means relaxing completely. These other things can be a distraction and provide some relief, but they do very little to relieve the stress that we hold inside in the form of muscular contraction and tension.

To reverse the tension-holding pattern, we can work with the energy body (pranamaya kosha). The systematic relaxation of the body and all of the different ways of doing that offer a precise, orderly way to release tensions from our toes to the top of our heads and all points in between.  A number of these techniques exist, and, like most yoga practices are best learned from an experienced teacher and then honed through patient practice.  Yoga and world cultural traditional relaxation practices vary from simple tension/relaxation exercises to more complex visualization techniques that require exploring fine distinctions in the subtle(energy) body.  Many practices involve moving our attention through the body methodically, often while resting in svasana (pronounced shvasana – corpse pose).  Neuroscientists are beginning to discover that these practices can begin to change the way the brain responds to the perception of stress and we can learn to experience stress and move back to healthier neural pathways with more equanimity. 

Most relaxation techniques require that we withdraw our attention from the drama of our lives.  In yoga we call this withdrawal, pratyahara (withdrawal from the senses). Letting go of memories, plans, worries and fantasies and focus on the present moment and allow the mind to move from point to point from one part of the body to another, from one visual concept to another.  Listening deeply to our bodies, helps us to stay embodied and aware of what we are actually feeling.  Breathing from the diaphragm, while systematically bringing our attention to point to point in the body can release tension and increase the flow of energy (prana) to each point, each visual image brings energy to that part of the brain where that image ‘resides’.  

These types of practices lead to healing and cleansing and build the neural pathways to ease in meditation and deeper practices.  Try this once a day for 10-30mins and see how you feel.  Lie on the floor – comfortably – stay awake and aware of your breath, rotate your attention from one part of the body to another – trying to include all body parts and let the breath be deep, full, effortless. Notice if you start to fall asleep and bring the attention back to the breath and continue scanning the body.  If you would like to practice this exercise with a teacher, yoga nidra is a really nice easy practice that you can listen to an audio recording and have this experience.  

Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE AUDIO RECORDING of Samasa Yoga Nidra and try this out for yourself.  Email us at [email protected].