Yin News October 2020
Dear all,
The Metal Element has arrived. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Lungs and Large Intestine are in focus. In other words Detox. To clear away what´s not needed. To let what´s needed, that which is valuable, constructive and loving remain in our lives. Grief is the feeling associated with The Metal Element. To let it exist, to make room for it, to feel it. The crackling colors we are now experiencing are also signs of change, decay, death – and life – a new phase in life. And in the middle of all this is the life energy – Prana. Powerful – always here. Always present. All postures that stretch the chest and arms area stimulate the Metal element.
This week I’m in the cottage alone with our cat. Just me and Shanti. Not a sound. The silence is total. Only the clock’s tick tock and a buzzing fly. The refrigerator that from time to time starts its humming. The sound of the wind in the trees outside. The breaths become more noticeable. And one’s own thoughts are heard more clearly. Staying in silence is useful. To be able to think deeply, shallow or scattered. To start hearing the thoughts at all. We are often afraid of our thoughts. We do not want them. We deafen them with constant impressions. Sights, sounds…We want to “quiet the mind”. And that is often how we perceive a “successful” meditation. That moment when the chatter ends. But in the deepest meditation we understand that the thoughts are only visitors. They aren´t the problem…The problem is our attitude towards the thoughts. That they shouldn´t be there. They just come and they go. They are not ours. Therefore, we let the mind think, spin, and we rest in the knowing of all this. Witnessing. Staying in relaxation and acceptance. We practice in everyday life. Leaving the phone at home and taking phone-free walks. We are with ourselves in silence. We listen to the natural sounds around us. Listen and rest. Breathe deep breaths of the fresh crispy autumn air. And marvel at this moment. We take one day, one moment at a time. Now and now … and now…
Near despite the distance
For us, the Pandemic has meant a transitioning of all the trainings now being combined as on-site / online. It has exceeded all expectations. Both our’s and the participant’s. For me personally, the Zoom-format has meant that I feel that I get closer to all the students. On the big screen in front of me in the hall, I see the participants clearly and closely. As half of the participants are online, the number of people on-site in the studio are less. More space, more proximity to everyone. For me as a teacher I mostly the benefits of this change. And many of our participants agree. Not least by saving time/money on hotels and travel expenses. Not to mention minimizing the risk of Covid-infection. I know that Mats is not as positive regarding the online format as he is the one in charge of the technology, the cameras and the sound. And there is always some trouble before we start each course. But everything gets smoother with time. Even for him;). In addition, Erik Bergendahl is our and the students’ technical assistant/support on all trainings. Think how quickly one gets used to the new ways of living!
Yinyoga Trainings
We have now opened up the spring trainings for registration, but not all, we will open up the rest eventually. This is due to the fact that FHM’s (Swedish Health Ministry) recommendations are constantly changing. All of them are still in Swedish. All trainings are taught in Swedish.
Retreats
Every year at this time, Mats and I have usually already planned our retreat trip to Burma with our teacher Sayadaw U Tejaniya and are also starting to raise money for the organization Metta In Action. This year there will be no such trip. Nor will there be any handover of donation to the orphans at the nunnaries that we usually visit. We’ll see if it can still be arranged. The need is greater than ever. But instead of going to Burma, we have planned other types of retreats. I will do an online study retreat with one of my favorite teachers Ajahn Sucitto in December, but also a onsite Vipassana / Yinyoga retreat with Staffan Hammers and Weronika Mrowczyk in January at Mundekulla (unless the Covid restrictions change of course!) .
Yinyoga sessions & meditation online
We are constantly updating our webpage, Instagram, Facebook och our Youtube-channel with new fun Yinyoga sessions. The latest is about Yinyoga for bigger bodies and also a sequence that helps with menopause. A Restorative yoga sequence for you who want to restore and relax even deeper is now on Instagram. Find the rest of the sequences here: https://www.yin-yoga.se/filmer-meditationer/#pass
Dare to just be
It takes some of courage to just be – not do. To not constantly jump on the planning mind, to be in the future. More, more and more. It also takes discipline not to control, instead to be content with not knowing, not fixing, not correcting. Such are the times now. Take good care of them…
Much love, Magdalena, Mats and Shanti