Read Deborah's Blog
Balance and the Beach
May 17 2012
I looked “balance” up in the dictionary and noticed the words that followed. There is balance beam, balance control, balanced diet, balanced fund, balanced line, balanced rudder, balanced sentence, balanced step, balanced ticket, balanced valve, balance lug, balance of nature, balance of payments, balance of power, balance of terror, and balance of trade. This afternoon I found balance on the beach when my granddaughter pulled me from my desk and off we went for a barefooted stroll along the sandy beach of Lake Superior, straddling the line between hot granules of sand and cold waves of water. We detoured to the fallen logs along the way, balancing across the length of the trunk, occasionally pausing to find our own steady tree pose.
Strength from Spaciousness
May 3 2012
Our solar plexus and belly sit at the site of the 3rd chakra, our place of individual power and strength. This is also the place that houses our fear, anxiety, anger, rage, jealousy, and pain. These emotions all tighten our “middles”, causing our thoughts, words, and actions to come from a place of constriction. When our power and strength come from a place of rigidity, we may find ourselves reaching for false energy to prop ourselves up. There is another way to maneuver through our lives, and that is from a place of spaciousness. This is often referred to as “living an undefended life” or as “being strong enough to be vulnerable”. This place of expansion feels somewhat strange to many of us, who have become used to thinking of constriction as normal. As we explore living from a place of expansion and spaciousness, we may begin to feel almost childlike again, as if we were 2 years old, delighting in the world and trusting the flow of our lives. This place of spaciousness in our centers may feel as vast as the universe, opening us to increased energy,aliveness, and new possibilities. The next time you find yourself reaching for a latte or piece of chocolate, take a moment to soften your belly and breathe deeply into your pelvic floor and back of your heart; tap into the real source of your strength, vitality, and sense of well-being.
The Perfect Engagement
May 3 2012
Somatics Education is taking root at Yoga North. This practice of slow, conscious movement is one of the truest practices to experiment with the concept of “less is more”. Somatics Education has invited me to re-think relaxation. For most of us, relaxation is the opposite of what we do the rest of the day. This creates a yo-yo effect between highly strung and collapsed, and back and forth we go. But relaxation is not collapse and it is not the opposite of anything; it is simply the proper engagement with the moment. It is a 24-7 invitation and opportunity. Relaxation doesn’t mean that we are not doing anything; it simply means that we are not doing or using more of us than we need to. There is no excess tension anywhere in our body; if it is not needed, it gets to rest. We can be in a highly demanding activity and still be relaxed. That is the beauty of it and what makes relaxation such an art. Notice your body in this moment. Are you authentically matched to your current activity?
