Trust is built in small moments rather than grand gestures. Consider in relationship with others, when a friend calls you when you are sick, or replies right away to your messages...these are the small acts that build immense trust. 

Trust works the same way inside the body. Tension is simply the body's way of keeping us contained and safe. Yet, if we can dive down into each small pocket of tension and connect to the body, feel it, hear it, let it know it's safe – it will not only trust the signals we send it to activate, but it will trust the signals we send it to open.

The body builds trust incrementally, in the tiny moments. Tiny moments of trust compounded, over and over. 

When we move our bodies, there is no direct link between the mind and the body part that we want to communicate with – here is a filter in between! The filter through which everything is communicated, is called the Body Map. 

In the Body Map, all body parts are represented, but some body parts are less prioritised because of our biology and what we habitually use. For example, hands and tongues are very well represented because the movements we perform with them are very complex!

In our spine we often have limited communication, because of habitually moving in a way that doesn’t articulate along the entire channel of the spine. Mostly it's not a matter of lacking mobility, we simply need to bring awareness to how well the spine is represented in our Body Map!

Gravity is the binding force that holds many worlds together. The liberation of the upper body is produced by acceptance of gravity in the lower part of the body, which creates a rebound flow back up again.

Just like a plant must dig down and grow roots in order to climb back up towards the sun, in this practice we use the forces of gravity and the anti-flow to create an active and dynamic extension of the spine! The effect is like the ricochet of an explosive waterfall which after dropping down at high speed, springs back up again with incredible strength, transmuting itself on its journey by dissolving water into ever lighter sprays. 

This practice is a progressive and expansive journey into Wheel pose. As with all big things, preparation is everything! 

When we prepare the body well, it can show up in any weather pattern, and float elegantly with the winds! 

Author James Clear talks about the benefit of tiny routines of preparation for life, and the same goes for our approach here. He says: 

“At first tiny routines seem insignificant but soon they build on each other and fuel bigger wins that multiply to a degree that far outweighs the cost of their initial investment. They are both small and mighty. This is the meaning of Atomic Habits, – a regular practice or routine that is not only small and easy to do, but also the source of incredible power; a component of the system of compound growth.”

So, are you ready to get into the nitty gritty and create some atomic habits, that come together to create a spacious and 'Oh So Wonderful Wheel'?

One of my teachers often says, "We are like bundles of walking preferences". That is, mostly the mind is in a state of attraction or aversion, pulling some things towards us and pushing other things away. 

You might notice the push/pull when you do even things you love, for example when I surf, my mind is saying on the one hand “I can’t wait to catch a wave” or “I hope there will be dolphins today”, which are ‘likes’ or attractions. On the other hand my mind goes to, “Aw, I don't want to put on a wet wetsuit” or “Oh no, my toes are soon going to go numb soon!”, which are ‘dislikes’ or aversions. 

We can start to notice the preferences of the mind, and rather than only seeking to experience the good or desirable sensations and outcomes, the invitation is to widen our capacity to hold space for the full spectrum of what’s really on offer. After all, growth and art doesn’t come from colouring inside the lines. 

In this practice we play with variations of Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, which is a big, bold heart-opener! 

A reminder in this practice to choose to acknowledge your efforts as you go. Acknowledging efforts is a powerful way to bring more satisfaction into the moment! Often we invest our presence in future-based outcomes, treating what's to come as more valuable than the present moment!

Can we sink into the feedback the body is sending us right now, to orchestrate our attention towards the tiny growths and incremental achievements revealed inside each breath?

Imagine your practice is like a vision board, and you are collecting pictures and colours and textures. You may not necessarily desire the exact ‘thing’ you collect, it's more that when you step back and look at the whole board once you're finished, there is a vibe or theme or essence that emerges. Equally, we are not collecting ‘postures’ but building experiences, sensations, breaths. Trust that when you stand back at the end, the inevitable outcome will be a certain vibe or state of being that emerges. 

A lot of the time with cueing, the words we use conjure up certain mental images or associations or labels. What if we allow ourselves to simply settle and sink into the breath, and drift a little closer to the essence of what we feel rather than latching so much onto words or postures and all the ideas and collected meanings that have been gathered about them over time. 

In this practice we’ll take things beyond the familiar corners of our yoga mats, to play with tick tocks at the wall. 

In our final practice we focus on the flow! Let's enjoy a more rhythmic slow-dance, threading together the new tools, techniques and body-awareness that we've cultivated so far. We're going to let breath be the boss, and the body follow!

That's A Wrap! Thank you for practicing! It's truly a privilege to share with you.