Yoga Corner-A Note From Clare

I think as humans we naturally crave change. There is a certain excitement that comes along with September – something about the month has always felt more like a new year to me than January. A chance to reset, start a new routine, set intentions. The craziness that comes with summer and trying to fit everything into those warm days starts to fade and we can relax into the cozy comfort that Fall brings. Our yoga practice is much the same – changing with us right along with the seasons. One of the things that I love most about this practice is the chance to reflect and check in- listening to our bodies and adapting our practice to what we need. It changes from day to day and one of the best ways that we can show up for ourselves is to practice noticing, listening, and adjusting.

September at the studio feels the same as Back to School for me. If you joined Mobility over the Summer, we may be new to each other. Hi! I’m Clare. I take a break from teaching during the Summer for a variety of reasons, but mostly because my job comes with a lot of demands and a busy schedule over the summer, so stopping – as hard as it is sometimes to admit that I need a break – is something that became necessary for me to reset and get excited about teaching again. All that said, by September I find myself eager to get back to the studio and see faces I love in a space that holds so much meaning for me. I started really practicing yoga when this space was Pictou County Yoga and I fell in love hard and fast. The instructors supported me and led to me finding a Yoga Teacher Training that challenged me to level up on and off my mat and changed my practice in ways that I didn’t expect. Over the years I have found a love for different movement practices and learned from a variety of the teachers in the movement space and I always try to create a practice that reflects the things that I know and believe strongly. So if you haven’t joined us on a Wednesday evening I highly encourage you to come – we have fun!

My teacher training at NOVI Yoga in Halifax was intense and deep and left me with the realization that I still have so much left to learn, but here are some of the things that I know to be true and I try to weave into my time on the mat:

All bodies are different and love different poses

The poses that we hate are quite often the ones that we need to practice more(Hello Ego)

Listening to our bodies is a constant practice

Showing up in community matters – the breath, the energy, and being together matters

If you have to force it, it’s not for you (today)

If you are new to the studio, don’t let anyone tell you what you are going to find hard- be brave enough to lean in and try something once.

You need to stay on your mat – one of my favorite teachers told me this years ago and it stuck with me. Be in the room and on your mat for you and only you. We get to gather together in breath and share energy and space, but the poses and shapes our body takes and how we measure success is so personal.

Take up space – You aren’t meant to be small and apologize for just being in a room. Every week we practice unapologetically taking up space in the room and on our mats, and then eventually doing that outside the studio isn’t quite as hard.

It’s not that serious, and no one is looking at you. Read that again.

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Now grab your sweater and meet me in the studio.

I’ll see you on your mat.

~Clare

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