November 2, 2022

Transitions. I have been thinking a lot about transition lately: how we transition from our daily lives to class, how we transition from class back to our daily lives, how we transition from posture to posture, and how we apply this to the bigger picture: our job, moves, family, health, and seasons.

I don’t think we put enough attention on transitions but that is really where the challenges lie. How do we maintain a sense of stability, safety, security, and balance when we transition? This could refer to entering and exiting an asana or moving from one city to the next. We put so much focus on the beginning and then on the end, but what about the middle, the transition? Our yoga practice is a microcosm of our lives. How do we hold onto a sense of calm when the world can be chaotic? How do we maintain our center when the ground feels unstable?

I have found rituals to be helpful with transition. In the morning, I give myself the gift of sitting and enjoying my cup of coffee before doing anything else. I actually say to myself, “Mimi, you don’t need to work, check email, clean, or anything until you have finished your coffee.” It seems like a minor thing but it really helps me to transition from sleep to the day.

There are many rituals that we use in our classes at O2. The word ritual seems so archaic but it just means something that we do that adds a sense of security and stability to our transitions. Namaste is a good example of this. At O2, we use it as a way of saying “I see you, and value you, and you see me and value me.” But it is also a very distinct way of creating closure at the end of the class. We take the time to use this ritual to both acknowledge the place we were just in together and as a way of saying I hope the next place you are in brings you peace.

The point is, we all can benefit from attention to smoother and more peaceful transitions. So, this month, we will be focusing on transitions on and off the mat. Let’s think of transitions as a way of entering and exiting a space with grace and intention. When we transition, it also affects those around us. How can we prevent our potential chaos from crashing into those whom we care about: our co-workers, our family, friends, and even perfect strangers? Interested in learning more? Check out the community discussion below!

Big love,

Join Mimi for a 75-minute Intermediate class to benefit NicaLove on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 24th, 9:30-10:45 a.m. Class will be $20 to drop-in.

As many of you know, NicaLove is an organization, run by volunteers like Mimi, to spread love, light, education, safety, and health to the animals and their human families in some of the most vulnerable areas of Nicaragua.

This class will have an asana focus on bird poses and a philosophical focus on gratitude!