Dear folks,
Greetings to everyone. As I write, I am looking outside my window; there is a blue sky, a pear tree starting to blossom, and a river at the bottom of the garden. I am grateful that I have this chair to sit in at this time, looking at this view. I am grateful for the weather, its stillness, it’s dryness after the floods. It plays a huge part in my relationship to these different days.
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I am hoping this email finds everyone well. Conversations I have had with friends, reveal a common exploration of what we mean by ‘well’, at this time. I have read innumerable offerings as to how current events will help to initiate a more enlightened world. People are ever hopeful. But for myself, I find it more comfortable to admit that I don’t know what will happen in the future. But what does seem evident, is that most of us are opening more to the present, not even necessarily by choice, it is simply where we are. For some, there is increased opportunity for discovering space in all too busy lives and all that follows from that. For others there is suffering in all sorts of ways, and that cannot simply be easily subsumed in a narrative that might ignore its presence. I count myself amongst the privileged. I have a chair from which I can watch the pear tree and I have food to eat. But even sitting here, when I observe my own body, there is an unconscious something, an anxiety about ‘what if’, that is simply stuck to the skin. It comes and goes. I can’t chase it away. But when I turn towards it, I find what makes a real difference is kindness and this has led me to explore what I understand as healing, which seems the most appropriate paradigm for these times.
There is certainly a great sifting of experience. Whatever is calling in the body is really asking to be listened too. Where what we experience introduces turmoil, through illness, circumstance or emotional upheaval, we have the option of softly approaching all of this with great kindness. May the things that deeply impact us be made easier, but I don’t think healing is necessarily about removing things, about chasing things away, about outcomes. Some things are simply unlikely to be cured. Healing seems to be the experience of being with what we are present with, with love, and with kindness. This way of orientating with kindness, to what goes on for ourselves and for others, has some magic to it. It might also be the case, that this healthy approach also promotes a more healthy immune system.
As well as being brought more into the present, the other aspect of all of this, that has impressed me most, is community. It seems that human beings do have a huge capacity to be kind to each other. Humanity thriving on kindness…there is a thought which doesn’t come to the surface that often! Long may it continue.
I want to make two offerings in response to this sense of community and the uplifting quality that kindness brings. I have put together a video to talk through a healing practice via the medium of the breath, which has as it’s core the reception of kindness. This can be accessed at this link. All this technology is new to me, so please forgive the amateur nature of it.
The second offering is two online live classes. The first a yoga class between 6.30pm and 8pm on a Wednesday evening. This can be registered for here. The second is a live practice to settle, restore and ease the body and all that happens in it. We are largely lying down on the ground, so there is no active movement and is thus accessible to anyone, not just active yogis. This happens on a Friday morning between 10am and 11.15am. This can be registered for here. Both these classes are being run on a donation basis. Whatever your current circumstances I want you to be able to join in. On the registration site there is an option for a free ticket or a donation. A donation can be on a sliding scale up to what might be a ‘normal’ offering of £10. The online platform for the classes is zoom which is pretty easy to use. Instructions are there on registration.
I hope to meet up with some of you online. Originally I thought it would be good to have a break from offering yoga and other work, but the one compelling factor that is drawing me in, is the sense of community which I find so precious.
Wishing everyone well
With love
Derek