embodied health
self care & nourishment
Ammerdown Day Retreat
Thank you for your presence on Friday at Ammerdown. The day was a combination of practice, discussion and reflection focused on three questions:
- What brings you onto the mat or what brings you to yoga?
- Is your practice therapeutic and/or developmental?
- Is your practice an oasis for an hour each week but forgotten outside of the class?
- Do you take yoga off the mat?
- What would/does it mean to take yoga off the mat?
The discussion was framed by the yamas – social restraints or discipline with respect to others, the first of the eight limbs of yoga. We looked at ideas shared by Ranju Roy and David Charlton from their time with Peter Hersnak. When we engage with yoga off the mat, we embody it. There is discipline and freedom, strength and flexibility, ‘we can be creative when responding to the changes and challenges in life’ (from Embodying the Yoga Sutra). The pandemic has challenged, changed and strengthened our relationships. Sometimes it’s been useful perhaps affirming, at other times traumatic.
The yamas are just one part of the 8-limbed path and whilst they describe how we are in relationship with another person, they are attributes to refine in ourselves. The relationship may be a deep or casual one. I hope you will return to aspects of the day and allow your relationship with the memories and the conversations to develop.
In February, there is a two day residential retreat at Ammerdown (from 3 pm Friday 4 February). There are 3 spaces left. We will be looking at the next limb – the niyama: discipline in respect to ourselves. There will be a review of the yamas, you do not need to have attended Friday to join the retreat. With two days we can have more space to wander. I fancy a journey to the centre of the labyrinth.
Let me know if you want to discuss the residential retreat or ask about other yoga classes and space.
With gratitude, Yvonne x
