Body stories are an internal rumour of memories & narratives we have adopted within our mind & body about where our physical/sensing limitations are.
They are residues, mind dust, open loops of disturbed emotions buried beneath the veneer of living. They are insidious traumas rising to the surface, begging for release. They are the detritus of a body without language, wordlessly trying to communicate an inner world through sensations.
A narrative is an inner voice activated when we move, sense, breathe or relate to those sensations when moving into a yin yoga practice. It’s the story we tell ourselves about that sensation, feeling, emotion or breath. It’s the desperate desire to articulate that experience and to make sense of it all. This also includes indoctrinated shame we carry about our bodies.
You may find yourself telling yourself a story about why you can’t do something. It may look like avoiding a particular asana, overcompensating for a past injury, or reliving the stressful or anxious experiences over & again.
One of the challenges in a yin yoga practice is staying present within the asana while holding space for the tension of the opposites to emerge. It's observing the ebb & flow of an awkward inner reunion, listening deeply to the language of your intuitive body.
As we edge closer to surrendering into the posture, an “uneasy” transformation begins to unfold within us. It is at this edge we discover the wisdom of compassion and the balance between being present, staying with the edge and letting go of the minds construct/story. With each breath, we allow whatever arises to unfold, witnessing it with deep awareness and acceptance.
It is in this place, the space between, where we begin to unbind ourselves from the past, knowingly let go of the future and breathe into the now. It is in this place we experience our genetic templates, the ancestral memories/shame/pain/blame in juxtaposition with our own life. It is in this place we can begin to overwrite the memories with ones that are intentional, supportive and contribute to a life of meaning.
We emerge victorious, a believable version of ourselves, one that we can live with.
At that moment, we smile, joyous in the knowledge I am here now. It is really me. I’m ok.
For each post, you are most welcome to listen to a curated playlist, and occasionally I’ll add a link to a PDF download to expand on the theme. Go ahead and let me know in the comments if you have any questions or comments about the post.