I just completed a 3-month training with Arielle Schwarz who brings together science of the Polyvagal Theory with yoga. It was a truly incredible experience. Suddenly all of the things I have been exploring : yoga, the nervous system, somatic awareness, trauma have found each other and feel like a whole. This is something Arielle calls EMBODIED SPIRITUALITY - where science, soma (body) and soul meet.
At the beginning of my journey with yoga, I was drawn to it because of how it made me feel : connected & aware, in my body and awakening a sense of deep knowing, anchoring me back in my true self.
Following my curiosity, I went deeper into yoga always learning something new along the way. In the last 2-3 years my curiosity led me to dive deeper into the wisdom of the body through Menstrual Cycle Awareness, the nervous system, somatic awareness, compassionate inquiry and now the Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga. These latest explorations are about getting to know yourself deeply through the body recognising that there are polarities in our lives, that our experiences consists of the shadows and the light. We can have the tendency to only seek the calm, the pleasant (which is all wonderful!) but the truth is that life is challenging and we can only find equanimity if we build resilience from within to face life's challenges and perhaps to see the opportunity in the unknown. By turning towards the parts of ourselves that we avoid, we dislike - we are moving towards growth & transformation. Yet we need to remember to do so with compassion, curiosity and at the pace that works for us.
In the Polyvagal-informed yoga, the focus is on the therapeutic impact of yoga with awareness of our nervous system. This approach helps recover from trauma and can support healing of physical, mental and emotional imbalances/conditions. It is an invitation to slowly touch the edges of our comfort zone and finding more trust in our bodies, honouring both the state of expansion and contraction.
As some of you know, I already bring a lot of this into the regular yoga sessions, which intend to be spaces for connection, embodiment and healing.
I want to share with you a poem that Dr. Arielle Schwarz wrote and read at the final session of our course. It so encapsulates what we have been learning and what I continue be amazed with. The poem is called For Now We Are Free. You can read the full poem below.
If you would like to work 1:1 with me, you can check out my Private Yoga sessions as well as Somatic Coaching sessions. In Somatic Coaching I blend the Polyagal-informed yoga with Compassionate Inquiry approach to support your journey of healing. More information here
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