Something shifted in the air this week — that particular quality of March light that arrives almost without warning and makes everything feel possible again. I hope you’re feeling it too.
A thought from practice
I’ve been thinking about bandhas lately — not as a technical subject, but as a question of attention. Bandha means “bind” and can be translated as “lock” but “seal” conveys a more nuanced meaning.
Most of us walk around with whole regions of our own body that we’ve never really visited. The bandhas are invitations to go there. The jiva bandha — the tip of the tongue resting lightly on the palate — is a good place to start, because it tells the truth. The moment you lose concentration, or grip too hard, the tongue shifts. Simple to do but tricky to master, the tongue will move, press against the palate, harden, and behave in other ways when too much effort is applied. Becoming aware of this honest little mirror is a great way to monitor your effort level and your mental focus.
The abdominal bandha works similarly. We think we’re exhaling fully, and then we try drawing the abdominal wall back — and discover there was more breath to give. Or we’re too tense to allow the abdominal wall to draw back. Or we’re bringing tension into the shoulder,s neck, jaw, or lower back. It’s also challenging to make the drawing-back even throughout the upper and lower abdomen. We tend to pull up under the ribcage, and leave the lower abdomen un-engaged. It’s hard to notice things that are a result of fixed patterns within ourselves, so this is one to pay attention to.
These aren’t things to force. They’re things to notice. Try one this week and see what it shows you.
The sea is always in view, here seen from the beautifully cultivated gardens.
What’s on
Classes — No yoga on Tuesday 17th or Thursday 19th March. Remaining classes this term: Tullow — March 10, 24, 31 · Carlow — March 12, 26, April 2
Zen Garden Retreats — The Spring Equinox retreat runs March 19–22, and the final Spring retreat is April 23–26. Both focus on breath, body, and returning to nature. These deliberately unhurried retreats aim to give you time to breathe and space to think – a a lot of rest, a bit of play, and some therapeutic dips in the sea.
Details at Zen Garden Retreat.