9/24/24 Live Session Recording

Just listened to this last lesson.  Excellent responses to the idea of," surrender." I appreciated what Stan said about being careful with the concept of abuse survivors. I have been doing a lot of work surrendering to aging. It is a fact that has caused me a lot of anxiety.  However, with doing this kind of work and this experience studying these concepts has been very supportive.  I need to review the movement practice shared again, in an effort to facilitate my own to finish. This isn't very comforting, but seeing it done, is very helpful.  As my life gets busier, part of me wishes this course could have been in person. However, I have been working on surrendering this wish, as the benefit is that we can all participate worldwide.  

Words that really resonated with me today during the session were when you suggested that folks think about the words in their mind and if they are supportive. Such a great think to offer for both ourselves as we are learning and for the folks we are serving also. Thank you again for sharing another demonstration and a safe transition to the floor. Regarding the discussion on surrender, I appreciated Dan (and you) speaking about how harmful this word can be for folks with trauma. I run into this with patients I serve and them being really frustrated they are at the hospital when they are wanting to return to jail to resolve their cases. I typically come at it from a place of laughter and encourage them to think about how better the food is at the hospital compared to jail (the gratitude aspect you mentioned) and the time they are serving counts towards their potential sentence, but still it is difficult for folks to be in an institution without having been found guilty of a crime. From a personal viewpoint, this word is also really difficult for me and something I have been thinking about the last several years after developing a chronic illness as a result from a medical injury. I have been encouraged to practice acceptance therapy, but I feel like if I surrender to it then I am allowing it to "win" and I will be "stuck" like this. Something I will continue to work on through my self-study perhaps. 

A few questions - 

1. I might have missed the part if you mentioned the immersion workbook would be available to us? If so, how can we order one? I think it would be a great resource after this training has concluded. 

2. What is the book Dan mentioned? 

Thanks! 

When I saw the word Strength I thought- push through without showing emtion or asking for help,even if a situation is toxic, painful inappropriate.

not crying= strong

not needing or  asking for help= strong

enduring physical or emotional pain = strong

managing multiple issues at once alone = strong

This definition of strong negates the psychological/emotional need  social/communical support and the need to express emotions.  Two things we need to build strength and resilience.

When I saw the word Surrender  I thought give up, let go.

At this point in my life Surrender looks like doing what I want to do not what I have to or what I am expected to do.  Surrender to my true desires.

I like the the sequencing. But would like more discussion around creating sequencing to regulate the central nervous systems. which poses would be used, foward folds? is  nervous system regulating most achieved through breathwork?

Thanks as always.

I don't know why I can't find the spell check but it is 4 in the morning sooooooooo lol

@kdubois09gmail-com  I too am grateful to Dan and Jen offer offering their feedback. Their points of view is something I have not considered  and are very valueable.

Hi all,

I am grateful for this lesson. Some of you may know that I live in Asheville, NC. I watched this on my birthday, Thursday, and woke up to absolute devastation on Friday. I've had to learn to surrender to the horror of natural disasters, the surrender to letting community come together and do the most beautiful and uplifting work, the surrender that I can't do it all and help everyone and fix everything. Luckily, I am safe and my house suffered minor damage. I have so much sadness in my heart for all the loss, but this lesson has been helpful in reminding me that I can surrender to the lack of control, the unknowns, the devastation, and the community love. I think in doing this training, it's been humbling to remember that it isn't always me teaching or guiding/leading others in healing trauma and finding a path of acceptance and peace... I have to turn these lessons around onto myself. This event has been enormously traumatic and I am really grateful to be in this practice and training to help me heal through this. Thanks xx

@kdubois09gmail-com Thank you for asking about the Yoga & Mindfulness Immersion! This is still in a pilot phase but it is the plan of PYP that this workbook will be available for facilitators to add to their programs for those who are interested in diving deeper into yoga philosophy, but may not be interested or at a place they are ready to take up a full YTT. We are creating a training to teach facilitators how to facilitate the workbook and also offer the workbook directly to those where no current human-led programs are available. I am happy to keep in touch with you as this continues to develop!

@mimikhealygmail-com I cannot imagine the loss and trauma you and your community are experiencing. Nature brings such destruction in her own fight for wellbeing. You are seen and heard here in this space. I hope the land and inhabitants find healing.

@latashalucas9gmail-com your words on strength are so powerful and greatly appreciated as part of this discussion. Such a perception and expectation that to be strong means emotionless, robotic sometimes... 

As for support to the nervous system, yes, much of this is offered with breath through sequencing, but it is also the wave of guided stimulation we can offer as facilitators with opportunities to experiencing self soothing. By combining exertion that simulates activation (elevate the heartrate, quicken breath) and NOTICING those sensations occurring, then having tools to pause and restore the body and breath to a regulated rate, this is what supports nervous system regulation. The wave of exertive movement and calming with mindful awareness support individuals to identify off the mat when they are becoming activated and can resource regulation. I am happy to discuss further!

For me, Ishvara Pranidhana is a reminder that I am always where I need to be – surrendering to the flow of life and knowing that what is meant for me will be on my path. I often regain this perspective when in nature – surrendering to the vast sea or the tall trees, surrendering to "being" instead of doing. However, I certainly see how this perception of surrendering is not accessible to everyone and I definitley see the word having a negative connotation. I've sometimes heard people say to "surrender to the pose," and even though I've appreciated the reminder that comes with that cue, it sometimes sounds a bit off to me – I think saying something more like "allow yourself to simply be in this shape" or "explore the truth of this shape in this moment" could have a similar effect without the word surrender. In the conversation of strength, I am really grateful that my personal perspective of strength is beyond the physical or forcing oneself to endure something mental/emotional. I actually have always seen much more strength in setting boundaries and understanding your own limits. Perhaps this is stronger to me because historically it was much easier for me to push myself physically, mentally and emotionally than it was to know when to step away from things and speak up. I feel I've gotten much better at this strength of boundary setting, listening to my own limits, and speaking up. Of course it still slips at times, but it's a practice !