Ayama: Expansion

Hi Harlem Yogis! Between Passover and Spring Break - April really exploded out of the gate. If you celebrated Passover, Easter, or Eid - I hope your celebration was joyful and expansive.

These early-April holidays commemorate very different traditions, yet they share a beautiful common thread. Each arrives with the season of renewal and expansion. Each, in its own way, is a celebration of freedom. A shaking off of the shackles of winter.

 In Yoga - this Expansion is known as Ayama.  

To grow, to lengthen, to soften, and breathe fully into the space around you. In Asana, every posture expands at least one part of the body.

In Pranayama, we lengthen and deepen the breath.

In meditation, we find space in the present moment.

When we are anxious, worried, or harried - we naturally contract. And with so much in the world feeling opressive, that is both natural and often, a healthy decision, To turn in, to turn away. But as we embrace the heart of Spring, it can remind us that we are allowed to take up space, to breathe fully and deeply.

This April, I invite you to move with expansion and exuberance. To share light to combat - rather than turn away from, darkness.