Designed by TillyLou James,
Physiotherapist and Yoga teacher,
the Buttafly is:- An ergonomic seat making it
easy for you to sit well with
good posture - A versatile prop for Yoga
- A unique tool for treating
your own back
US Patent No 9 545 155. UK Patent No 2 508 723So much more than a
regular Yoga block(^) The Buttafly is fantastic!
I’m able to completely
relax into my meditation
with a straight back! It’s
also great for lying
on and I can see a
big difference in
my posture
already. Highly
recommend.
Sascha Y.
15% discount with
OMNOV18
- *T&Cs apply, ends 30 Nov ‘18
®
om spirit
answer – many yoga teachers and indeed
people from all walks of life may say they’ve
not fully found their voice yet. Perhaps that’s
because it’s a quest that doesn’t seem
to end: not a holy grail-like quest, more
a constant retuning as the essence of a
person endlessly changes and evolves. And
the one thing in life that is certain is change.
Fortunately, there are a few things you
can do to explore your own authentic voice.
Whether you’re a student or an experienced
practitioner, a yoga teacher or a school
teacher, the advice is much the same.
Experiment boldly
Seek out as many inspirational yoga
teachers as you can to find those that really
resonate with you. It’ll stir up lots of ideas
for sure, and you can ‘borrow’ from them in
terms of technique and style, as well as the
odd turn of phrase here and there. Rip off
the greats, and the goods as well, if you like.
Mimic them and make it your own. As Oscar
Wilde said: imitation is the sincerest form
of flattery.
Write it down
Make a list of people who inspire you or
just make you feel good. It doesn’t have to
be people you know, but also celebrities,
royals and other famous folk, past and
present. Once you’ve got your list see what
the qualities are that each embodies that
appeals to you. It might give you something
to work towards.
Just do it
Go out and teach. Practice a lot. That’s how
you’ll learn as a teacher and perhaps that’s
how you will start to find your own authentic
voice. Imagine you’re a writer, for instance.
In that sense, nothing else matters without
the constant practice of writing a lot:
write blog posts and letters, booklets, love
poems and short stories, it all counts. The
sheer mass of your writing becomes the
raw material from which to chisel your
voice. Carve out that beautiful sculpture for
yourself in the yoga room.
Learn to hear yourself
Just like writing, your voice is really the voice
that goes on in your head. It’s not how you
talk aloud (the pitch and tone), but more how
you talk to yourself, within the noisy cavern
of your skull. Tune in to that inner talk, and
that’s the voice you can tap into to project
out to the world.
Find what feels true
When you teach, practice and create –
whether it’s yoga or any other pursuit –
it’s not all going to be perfect. Sometimes
you’ll conjure up the magic, other times,
garbage. That’s life. But sift through it all
if you want to find the truth, the real gems
within. Sort through it until you learn to
recognise the truth by feeling it, not by any
logical criteria or means.
Find clarity
Clarity in your projection and in your
teaching, just as in writing, is also found in
clear thinking. If your thinking is muddled,
your words may well be too. Sometimes
it’s just a matter of simplifying. Practice
removing extraneous ideas and words until
you have only what’s needed to express a
simple thought, and then listen to the words
roll beautifully off your tongue.
Remove the noise
Similarly, it’s a process of subtraction more
than addition. Most people end up with too
many words, because they never subtract. It
means truth can get hidden. The noise gets
in the way of your voice, so tone it down,
trimming the noise from the bush until you’re
left with the truth. Stay awake to the noise,
then it’s easier to do the trimming.
Simplify your life
Most people also have too much noise going
on in their lives to hear their own thinking.
Too much is going on around them, and
online or with social media, and they have
little or no time for solitude. This will make
the job harder. You can’t hear your thoughts,
your voice, without solitude. Remove the
noise in your life as well.
Use your voice
Above all, use your voice. You don’t embark
on a quest for your voice just for the sake
of beauty – a noble pursuit, but it’s not
enough. You must use your voice. Use it
to express yourself, to help others and to
change the world. That’s what yoga is all
about ultimately.
Getting that voice from your head to
the yoga studio, or on paper, or anywhere
outside, that’s the trick. It’s not easy, but
again, do it often, and you’ll get proficient
at it. It’s a rewiring of the synapses, so that
your head-thoughts shoot out as words,
gestures, bits and pixels (if you’re writing
online!). And, of course, as the yoga greats
would remind you: keep practicing. The voice
is in there, allow it to come out.^
“Our voice is our essence,
writ plain for the world
to see.”
Worldmags.net