15/02/2024
New beginnings...
Each year, this Hellebore brings colour and promises of spring to my front doorstep. The small, creamy-coloured buds that emerge in the greyest of winter days open as delicate yet defiant blooms, their petals flushed pink by the still-cold winds of February. As the days lengthen, the flowers mature and turn wine-red before curling back into the foliage and sleeping through until the next winter.
This plant holds special significance for me. I bought it more than ten years ago when things were difficult for me for a whole stack of reasons. I brought it home then immediately regretted it when I realised that I had little money left and a plant that I couldn't even eat. It seemed like the most stupid, pointless decision I'd made, and I cried out of frustration at my own lack of basic life skills.
Over the weeks that followed, this little plant reminded me that our lives are not defined by our mistakes and that beauty and hope can rise from fear and pain. Each year since then, I've looked forward to these flowers emerging so that I can reflect on the distance I've travelled since my 'bad' decision. Perhaps I'd go so far as to say this was one of the best investments I've made for the joy and learning that it has brought me for over a decade and which it continues to offer.
Why am I sharing this? Well, my yoga practice allows me similar insights on a daily basis. I dedicate time and energy without the expectation that it will 'feed' or otherwise reward me in the short term, but over time the repeated process of planting the seed, emerging from the earth of sleep and directing awareness to the potential that is waiting within to blossom with the rising sun has taught me that there is hope and joy to be found in every morning.
It can be difficult to change our perspectives or to build a new habit, so Ashtanga Yoga York will be running classes for those new to Ashtanga (or to yoga altogether) from 20th February. I'm delighted to be teaching Gateway to Mysore and will be sharing details about how to join in the coming days. Message if you want to chat or find out more.
