May Reflections

The pleasure of bringing the organs of the body into practice, the challenges of writing a book proposal, plus some podcast recommendations, and an AUDIO VERSION if you like to listen.

PRACTICE

I’ve found myself really enjoying getting back to the “organs” as a focus and support for my movement and restorative yoga practice. This is the idea that the musculoskeletal systems form a ‘container’ and the organs are part of the ‘content’.

First, just being aware of this soft, slippery interior adds a richness to very familiar asana. This richness feels like volume, fullness, depth, pliability, and renders a delicious experience of the container following the organs. Second, when I involve the organs in my movement, without even trying to differentiate them, it alleviates the pressure from the more typical frames of reference: what’s happening in this and that joint? which muscle groups do I need to “engage”? etc. I am thinking more about making the shapes from the inside-out. Third, when I do differentiate the organs, I have new ways to support and shift areas of the body where I may otherwise experience resistance.