Ways to find Stability in an Unstable World

Stable is not the first thing you think of when looking at the world around us. It is in a constant state of flux & we are trying our best to go along for the ride without losing our way. But I believe there is a way of finding stability in an unstable environment. I am taking this term from a book by the same name by Suzette O-Byrne, a fellow yoga teacher, mentor & friend. She says in her book Yoga for the Core: Finding Stability in an Unstable Environment “Whether you are sitting, standing, walking, or running: moving from one yoga asana to the next; or remaining in one yoga asana for a lengthy period of time, your core stability is enabling you to feel, to express and to fill out the shape that your are. From the feet to the base of the skull, the muscles that make up your core nestle in to support your spine, your pelvic girdle, and your shoulder girdle; connect your lower ribs to the crests of your pelvis; and connect your arm movements to your leg movements. These muscles provide resilience to your relaxation and softness to your strength. They enable freedom”.

So the core is important & when we can access our core in a physical way, without force, our body becomes more stable. But we can also access the Core of our Being, our inner source of wisdom & guidance as a way to find stability in the rest of our life. Just as we work on strengthening our connection to our core in the physical practice of yoga, we can also strengthen our connection to our inner Core by using meditation & breath practices. The more we find a state of awareness in all aspects of our being, the more we can see there is an inner voice that is speaking. When the voice of the outer body starts to settle, when we deal with the imbalances of our body in our practice, the more we can hear that voice that is always there in the background. It is different than our judgemental voice that is often always in our mind, it is one that speaks to you from a place of love, compassion & understanding. With practice, you will learn to recognize the voice that is coming from you True Self, because it’s words make you feel more stable & grounded.

So stability comes by connecting & working on the physical body, & for most of us that is where we start. But then, we realize we are more than just our body, but a energetic being that is already stable in it’s essence. When we allow the noise of the outer world & body to quiet, we can then access the place within ourselves that has the answers we seek. We feel more stable in this unstable place we live in because we have some tools to help us.

To give you a few more of these tools, here is an article going into detail on some of these ideas use in my classes at YogaMcc, Healthy Backs lunchtime yoga at Knox United Church & in Cochrane at Frank Wills Memorial Hall.

To find out more about these classes, go to my website www.acyoga.net

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/yoga-for-emotional-and-physical-stability

If you are struggling with stability and find you have back pain as a result, I will be presenting a workshop at YogaMcc:

Yoga Therapy for a Healthy Back with Anne Cox

Saturday Date: 25/03/2017From: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Join Anne Cox E-RYT for a 3 hour workshop to see how a gentle yoga practice can help alleviate many back pain issues.

In our culture of sitting in chairs, injury, tension and repetitive strain can mean ongoing back pain. When an imbalance occurs from tight or weak muscles there will be pressure on the spine and the simplest of movements can cause your back to be injured. Our bodies were made to move & when we don’t move them enough, we can become tight & weak, which is a recipe for pain.

This workshop will focus on stretching tight muscles and releasing tension while strengthening key areas, including the core. Using the philosophy of mobility + strength = stability will help you bring a newfound balance in the body that your back will thank you for.

No yoga experience is necessary, just a willingness to learn safe & gentle ways to move the body that can be taken into your daily life to find long term benefits for your back. Also included will be ways to destress using breath & meditation, as well as mindful movement, that will be customized according to your back challenges. This workshop is suitable for anyone with back pain, or those wanting to learn how to avoid it.

Anne Cox E-RYT 500, a certified Yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance that has been teaching therapeutic focused classes since 2004

Her interest began when working at a desk job, she fell & injured her back in 1997. Soon after she discovered yoga & it’s healing affects. She teaches from experience on how she helped her own body & the lessons learned working with students with back issues from disc degeneration & herniation, to tension that occurs from structural imbalance due to our sedentary lifestyles. Her teachings are accessible to all experience levels & abilities. Her intention is to empower the students to learn how to move their own bodies in a way that is not forceful, but in keeping with a sense of balance & ease.

Go to www.yogamcc.com or call 403-251-9642 (YOGA) for more information or to register.

Namaste,