7/16/26 Live Session Recording (Module 4)

For this session, I was able to be present for the first half and had to come back to the recording to participate in the movement portion. I really enjoyed the discussion at the end that focused on the question of “do participants ever think the practice is too slow and want more?” I think Jen and Alejandro addressed this question so beautifully, and it aligned completely with my experience participating in PYP sessions in the facility I work at.

In my own personal practice, I was discouraged by the few studio yoga sessions I participated in because I felt like I could not keep up or catch my breath. I wondered, “how do people find this relaxing or spiritually centering when I literally can’t even breathe!?” The jail yoga sessions were the first time I was actually able to slow down and pay attention to the sensations in my body (shoutout Madison PYP facilitator Jo- she is the BEST). What may appear to be a “slow practice” actually felt the most invigorating. It allowed me the time and space to tap into what was happening internally which was something I wasn’t able to previously do.

This really laid the foundation for me. Once I found that place of being able to tap into my own body, I was able to feel the benefits of doing anything more “advanced.” Jen said something at the end of the session along the lines of it being more common for folks to ask for more meditation and relaxation than they do for more advancement in movement, and that the movement is often just a stimulus to allow people to actually notice and appreciate what it feels like to relax and find stillness. I had never thought about yoga practice in this way - asana simply as a “stimulus” to help us better appreciate and recognize regulation happening in live time. It’s definitely something that will stick with me going forward in how I view the relationship between movement and stillness.

I found this discussion on satya (truthfulness) to be so insightful and resonant on so many levels. As a facilitator I find it valuable to have these insights into understanding potential barriers to truth so to be able to hold space for the depth of experiences participants may be arriving with- for example, this idea of not being aware that other realities exist that may be more supportive to our wellbeing, when an individual has experienced a reality that may have been harmful or not nurturing--and the fact that as facilitators we have the opportunity to hold space for the potential of inviting in more ahimsa, compassion, and supportive ways of being inside oneself and the world. It's so resonant with me that sometimes we don't know we are capable of experiencing other truths, when we've been exposed to certain conditioning, and sometimes we just need access to the tools and knowledge that there are other pathways.

I appreciate the demonstration of allowing the beginning of class to be an opportunity to create a dialogue with participants about how they are feeling energetically—using inquiry questions, and allowing for responses, and then also intentionally noticing as a facilitator how bodies are responding to the movement options given to learn about how the room is feeling and what the ranges of motion are looking like to better understand how to guide the cues that follow.

the thoughts that have been sitting with me regarding satya are connected to the concept of power. the concept of truth has been rendered essentially meaningless by our president and those who support him, and of course things like AI and other tech further remove us from being able to connect on one source of truth. i was also raised by a mother with psychosis, so my connection to the concept of truth is full of confusion, destabilization, gaslighting, etc. i grew up not knowing what was true, which created a sense of skepticism in me that is hard to shake even when it's unnecessary. seeing this pattern repeated on a national and global scale is terrifying to me. i believe truth is a relative thing, and that it's hard to agree on a singular truth. in the recording i think someone mentioned evidence based practice - i'm also a therapist and grapple with this every day. we were told that science can tell us what the true "best" treatment is, but those studies were run by white men with power, and funded by corporations with power. so even our science-based "truth" is determined by who has the power. of course this is also true in dynamic that include abuse, hierarchy, etc. as a yoga teacher, i think reflecting on this will allow me to continue to humble myself about what yoga "is" and relinquish whatever power is given to me/perceived. 

I was looking through my progress tracker and I think I missed part of this live session so I would like to provide my feedback! Truth to me feels like a hard pill to swallow. I have spent a lot of my life running 'away' from things and not living out loud. It wasn't until I confronted a lot of my mental issues and blocks a few years ago that I realized this. I was holding myself back from great things. I lived my life in fear trapped with anxiety and depression. I am not sure if it was growing up that helped shape these changes or if it was a true inner reflection because I still find myself struggling to confront a lot of my truths (mostly negative) I have done a lot of self reflection about positive things in my life like my hobbies friends relationships and family-but I still find myself keeping busy so I dont have to confront a lot of things. I have recently been reading the book Out of your Mind and into your Heart by Marie Roberts. It is about using love energy to heal your life, I have found this book helpful because I wear my heart on my sleeve, I do a lot of things for other people without wanting anything in return. I let a lot of people in (still unsure if this is a good thing) but it might be helpful with these practices and my overall journey with yoga. After watching this weeks recording I felt a lot of what the other Cohort members had to say put this modules learning into perspective for me. Truth is something that can hold people back from the best part of themselves and from the best and worst parts of life. Life is meant to be lived and for us to learn and uncover things about ourselves that only we can discover. 

Connecting to truth

the question- what is uniquely yours to offer? struck something with me because I felt for a long time that I wasn't unique and that I couldn't offer anything to anybody-even perspective. I think this comes from a deep rooted sense of not fitting in and wanting so badly to, that I forgot what WAS uniquely mine. I will strive to keep my uniqueness throughout my practice and facilitation. 

I really value the aspect of satya, or truthfulness. Satya is not only being honest with others, but being honest with myself. I have found myself taking more time to reflect on how easy it can be to abandon or neglect my own needs, deny my own feelings in order to meet expectations or make things easier for others. As a (hopeful) future facilitator, I think this is especially important because creating and holding an authentic and safe space for students begins with being genuine and true to myself. After watching this session, I'm sticking with the idea that the truth does not always have to be blunt or harsh, and that practicing satya also means being considerate of how and when I do communicate something. It definitely makes me think more about how we can all balance honesty with compassion. 

Hi all,

I just finished watching the recording for this session; thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experiences so we can learn from it as a group. I wish I could be there for the discussions that take place, but I'm also so grateful to be able to take this course and work on it through recordings! Here are a few of my "take-aways" from this week:

* I did find the concept of "satya" a tough one to wrap my head around, mainly because what is "my" truth certainly isn't "the" truth, but then who gets to decide or define what "the" truth is. I loved Jenn's reflections on always considering the source as well as politicial, historical, social and religious context of the time. That being said, it's still challenging for me to fully grasp or feel confident in answering "is this the truth", because aren't each of us conditioned by sanskaras? I appreciated the context of them asking "does this "truth" cause harm to myself or others, and that helps a fair bit.

* I loved the idea of visualizing an adult person in front of you who may or may not have caused harm as a child, and I used to do that parenting my children a lot. They came from a deep history of early trauma (both were adopted), and often the behaviours that arise from this trauma can be challenging to understand or know how to support. When I would get deeply frustrated as they got older as behaviours became more serious, I'd picture them as babies (even though I didn't know them then) and how clever their brain and nervous system was to help them survive those times. And now, their nervous system just hasn't learned its safe yet, and this person in front of me needs that compassion and understanding. 

* Alejandro and Jenn both mentioned "doing your own work" before doing work with others, especially those with trauma histories, and I couldn't agree more. It's not my job (as a facilitator) to judge or point out anyone's klesha's or afflictions or anything else. Jenn said it's our role to facilitate and introduce the concept of yoga, that's why we are there, and that resonated deeply. 

* I've also noticed in myself that when there is attachment, emotion, judgement or a reaction when I share my "truth" and wanting another person to understand or accept it - that points to something in me that still needs to be healed. 

* I also sat with the concept of "generational truth" and the absence of that in my life. I am Indigenous Canadian, but my family did their best to erase our past to better "fit in" to the world. They changed our last name, and just starting referred to themselves as "white", even though they clearly were not. All of my history and roots are lost, and that leaves a gap in "truth" which can be hard. It also leaves openness for me to understand truth without generational influence, so I guess it is a double-edged sword. 

* Some of the conversation reminded me of things I've learned through Internal Family System therapy, which is learning to identify which "part" of you is speaking or acting when triggered. Again, if it is a triggered part, it is probably not our "truth", but one of our "parts" speaking for our authentic self. This is an opportunity to get  curious about ourselves, and work to uncover our truth under the layers of trauma, capitalism, oppression, social norms, patriarchy, sexism, homophobia, etc. 

Can't wait for next week - thank you all again for everything you bring to these sessions - much love!