Brittany began class as she always does, reading from Melody Beattie’s Journey to the Heart. I always love Melody’s meditations, but this one in particular really hit home for me. I love the idea that we can intentionally infuse our everyday actions with positive energy. I’d been playing around with this idea over the past few months; watching as the people around me react more softly, open up more easily. So I was excited when Brittany asked us to bring intentional energy not just to the opening few moments of class, but over and over again, to each individual pose or movement. I gleefully played around with the energy of peace, of ease, of love, and of strength. It came time for wheel – ordinarily a pose I grind my teeth and break out my bestfemale tennis player groan in order to get through. I pressed up, focusing on love, imagining love beams shooting through my hands and feet and out from my body in all directions. Whooosh. I felt more curved, my hips higher than I’ve felt in wheel since the 6th grade. I came down. Pressed up again. Again shooting love beams, again wow,feeling way more open than normal. I thought it might be all in my head until I woke up the next morning, and dang if my back didn’t feel a little sore. Good sore, like the kind you get from a tough hike. I think I really did find new openness in my wheel – just from the power of consciously bringing the energy of love to the task. As those of you who practice with Brittany regularly know, she rarely teaches a class without wheel pose. So I’ve done a lot of wheels in the year I’ve been practicing with her. I know regular practice is the key to loosening up and to getting stronger. But itwas interesting to experience how my mind can also play a significant role. Just through the power of thought, I was able to expand my body’s range of motion. Seriously… that’s crazy, right? But here it is: you cannot underestimate the power your mind’s intention has to affect the seemingly immovable. Try it in class this week. Try it on your way to work or as you head into an uncertain situation. Rather than fear, frustration or anger, try putting positive energy into your actions. Try shooting love beams and see what happens. At the very least, it’s a far more pleasant way to go through life. And who knows, it may just open up a whole new range of possibilities. “There is honor in all work, in all tasks, but take it one step further. Make what you do a labor of love. Then your work will truly touch and change the world in the way you desire. The work you do, whatever your chosen field, will be work that heals.”
Rachel’s thoughts ON BEING A CCYOGA MEMBER:
Why I love being a CC Yoga Member. I became a member during the studio’s crowd funding campaign simply because I wanted to support Brittany’s work as much as I could. I had considered membership before, but I was worried about the monthly commitment and whether I’d practice enough to make it worthwhile. I know now that’s the wrong way to think about it. Paying class-by-class, or even from a class pack, there’s always the option: Do I feel like it? Should I spend the money? Maybe I won’t go… It was easy to talk myself out of it. As a member, it feels totally different. Since I’ve already paid, I tell myself I’ve got to get to class and take advantage. And so I do. I’ve been getting my butt to class week in and week out for months now. The only other time in my life I’ve practiced this regularly was when I scrubbed toilets at a studio in Chicago for trade (again had to make it worth it!). And it’s awesome. I can feel my body getting stronger and more flexible each week. But even more valuable is the intangible effect of being in the space and around our community. I always leave feeling happier, and there aren’t many places in this world that can boast that. If you want to deepen your practice, move your body more consistently, feel more joy and peace, and become a bigger part of the sheer awesomeness that is the CC community, I highly recommend taking the leap to membership. I have a feeling you’ll love it as much as I do.
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