Have you ever found yourself believing that change is difficult? Or been challenged by others who are resisting change?
Change is a fundamental human experience, it is inevitable. Either we are growing and learning or we are stagnating, atrophying and dying, but we are always changing.
Why would we resist something that is inevitable?
Because, we fear it.
Specifically we fear the potential to experience the pain that may come with change. When we anticipate pain, the same centres in our brains that process actual physical or emotional pain are triggered. We begin to experience the pain of our premonitions, even though the event has not, and may never, come to pass.
To avoid pain we waste a lot of energy trying to control things outside of our control – other people, resources, even our own thoughts. We tend to be more motivated by the desire to avoid pain than the desire to experience pleasure.
It keeps us safe, but can also cage us.
Yoga can help us to shift this tendency and rewire our neurology, to be less pain avoidant, more behaviourally flexible and accepting of change. Yoga teaches us that it is not what happens to us, rather, it is our mind’s perceptions of life’s events that determines whether we experience them as painful or not. So-called painful events are part of being alive.
Suffering, however, is a choice.
The nature of this choice is explained, in part, through the yama (social discipline) of Aparigraha, meaning non-attachment and non-grasping. The practice of Aparigraha asks us to see all material attainments as transitory, to let go of what we no longer need and to open to receive from a benevolent and generous Universe that acts in support of our evolution.
Practices of gratitude, generosity and mindfulness meditations expand our capacity to accept life as it comes with equanimity.
The following practices will expand your capacity to accept change:
De-clutter: Give away things that you no longer need. This practice clears out stagnant energy in your home, creating room for fresh energy to circulate.
Be Grateful: Every day make a list of 3 things you are grateful for. It’s a great way to start the day or to end it by sharing your list with friends or family.
Meditate: Learn to drop the struggle to control your thoughts through mindfulness meditation. Simply start by following the breath with your mind from the moment it enters the body, to the moment it leaves. Allow any intrusive thoughts to come and go, without judgement.
Perform a Letting Go or Manifestation Ritual: Ritual is a powerful tool for directing and refining our thoughts about change. By engaging in a ritual to let go of something, or to call something into our lives we build neural pathways that cause us to perceive the world differently.
To have an experience of these powerful practices, as well as delve into the teachings of yogic philosophy, join us for the upcoming Expansion Yoga Meditation Retreat. This is going to be an absolute game-changer.
(Words by our guest writer, Calandra Gilligan.)
With love,
Em
xox
Upcoming Retreat & Workshops
Sexuality Workshop
Take your lovemaking, intimacy and passion to a new level through the teachings of this very popular workshop. Learn game-changing techniques that will transform your experience of sexuality. For Singles and Couples.
NOTE: THIS WORKSHOP SOLD OUT MANY MONTHS AGO. However, we have just released a small batch of additional tickets.
If you’d like to join us, secure your place immediately.
Date: May 13th – 15th, 2022
Where: Venue 3121 – 281 Swan St, Richmond 3121
Teacher: Emma Power
Host: Lucinda Light
Workshop hours:
Friday – 6:30pm – 9:30pm (approx finish time)
Saturday and Sunday – 10:00am – 8:00pm (approx finish time)
For more information go here
Sexuality Workshop – Friday Night Taster
Date: May 13th, 2022
Where: Venue 3121 – 281 Swan St, Richmond 3121
Teacher: Emma Power
Host: Lucinda Light
Workshop hours: Friday – 6:30pm – 9:30pm
(approx finish time)
(Please note: If you book for the full weekend workshop, there’s no need to book for the Friday night separately)
For more information go here
Expansion Yoga and Meditation Weekend
Reset your mind and rejuvenate your body. Delve into a weekend of meditation, mindfulness, yoga practices and transformative teachings. You’ll leave feeling renewed, grounded and expanded. For Beginners to Advanced.
Date: May 27th – 29th, 2022
Where: Venue 3121 – 281 Swan St, Richmond 3121
Teachers: Emma Power & Nilanthi Chandra
Workshop hours:
Friday – 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Saturday – 8:30am – 5:00pm
Sunday – 8:30am – 5:00pm
(approx finish time)
For more information go here
Book
How to Have Meaningful Relationships is an essential guide for anyone who wants to build healthy, happy and sustainable relationships with the people in their lives. Relationships skills are not innate, they are skills to be learned. This pocket guide provides useful tools, ideas, and checklists to help you become the very best team player you can be.
When Love Goes South is a book that will teach you how to approach relational conflict and challenges with game-changing results. This pocket-sized guide is the relationship counseling session that many people need, but never quite get to. It is written with the intention to create a new paradigm of relating, offering the reward of getting safely and successfully to the other side of pain and challenge.
