What we'll be working on in 2020
Olivia Marley
At the beginning of each new year I spend a bit of time thinking about where I want to take my students over the 12 months ahead. And, using a process I picked up from my own teacher, I’ll think about what physical, mental and emotional qualities I want to help people cultivate in class. Then whatever we’re working on throughout the year, whatever postures, techniques or anything else, everything is underpinned by those elements. And here’s what I’m aiming to develop with you lovely lot this year....
3 MENTAL QUALITIES
ability to focus. This keeps getting more important for me as I find myself more and more distracted (hello looking at my phone to check the time then an hour later realising I’m watching videos of skateboarding puppies…). It’s also the basis of my no phones in class rule!
resilience
steadiness (both of these last two include in the face of challenge, whether that’s on your yoga mat or in your daily life)
3 PHYSICAL QUALITIES
strength, as a way of increasing controlled mobility
discernment (eg is your leg/ shoulder etc actually doing what you think it’s doing..?)
balance- between sides, front and back of body, between effort and ease, and (super key!) between strength and flexibility
3 EMOTIONAL QUALITIES
compassion (eg for your body and what it can do on any given day)
curiosity (what does it feel like when I try a posture slightly differently? what am I trying to get out of this pose?)
calm (because we could all do with a little more of this one!).
So if you come to class/ a workshop/ a teacher training with me this year, this will underpin what we’ll be working on. Classes are back to normal this week, plus this month there are still spaces on my day retreat on 26 Jan and my handstand workshop this Saturday.
Also, just to be clear - I’m always up for puppy videos 😍