What’s Going On
When I started leading yoga in the early 2000s, playing music in class, other than classical Indian music or the acceptable modern version, Krishna Das, who I adore, was not a thing. My goal was to try to get my friends to practice, and to encourage people who couldn’t connect to what was available with yoga then to start practicing, because yoga, if you’ve had the joy of experiencing it in a way that actually feels like you, is amazing. My favorite feedback after leading yoga, or now also when I lead Softness Breaks, in the regular-clothes, not-needing-to-get-in-a-downward-dog version, feels like remembering something from somewhere dreamy, but definitely from inside. Yoga and the universal goodness and wisdom have a lot to teach us, but it’s wonderful when they bring us closer to who we are and we can feel empowered and grounded in that.
So, as one of my many tricks to help people feel like themselves, I loved and still love to play music that has a soulful vibe, something you might remember once, or listen to occasionally, from a distant place, that feels familiar. I like to have the music softly playing while people walk in to help folks soften. I have a special playlist during class to support the arc of the experience I aim to lead, and I have a playlist for after the class to keep that feeling of making a good connection to yourself and each other lingering.
The music can do so much for us. I can easily call on so many of the greats to support me and the people I aim to support by just pressing play. Marvin Gaye is one I keep coming back to. His “What’s Going On” I usually feather in toward the beginning, after we’ve done a bit of slowing down enough to be able to ask ourselves, what’s going on, and then the work of responding to what we find with care. I’m constantly amazed at the results of asking yourself what’s going on. We start to treat ourselves better. We include ourselves instead of bulldozing ourselves. We notice how we feel and respond to what we find with care. We start to practice taking better care of ourselves, even when that’s hard. We start to, without being lectured or guilted into it, take better care of those around us. We pick up after ourselves without really thinking about it. We open doors for each other without trying to do the right thing. Wonderful ideas pop into our minds and we have the energy and excitement to act on them. A fun jam to follow up Marvin is Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth.” The soft sound of “Something’s happening here” as everyone notices how they feel is just that kind of background action that can support pure magic. How you do one thing is how you do everything. For me, that means take good care at everything you are doing, how you are moving, what you are saying, what you are playing, when you are choosing to speak to someone or listen. This kind of place to put your attention on how you do what you do also has a lovely way of dropping stress and tension and anxiety, so you can more fully be yourself.
Just like when your good friend calls you and needs to talk. They usually don’t want you to tell them what to do to solve their problems. They want you to give them attention. They need you to listen so they can also listen to themselves and respond with care. We do this so easily for our close friends, and we need to remember to do this for ourselves.
Whenever you remember, here is a moment for you.
Soften - let yourself be moveable so you can be moved by your breath, your ideas and the world around you.
Notice your breath move you - notice your inhales expand, support and help you lift, and do that work for you. Notice your exhales release, relax and restore you.
Notice how you feel - ask yourself, what’s going on physically, mentally and emotionally?
Respond to what you find with care - maybe this is the hard part, but practice taking good care of you. If it feels hard to respond to what you find with care, remember you would do this for your friends. Now do this for yourself and do it again whenever you remember.
Softness is something we practice together. Thank you for reading, practicing and connecting.
Let’s Keep Going Together
Softness is something we experience together. If you’d like to keep exploring this practice with me, here are a few ways we can connect.
📖 Living Softly
My new book, Living Softly, is available now for pre-order.
It’s a guide to accomplishing more with less tension, dropping No Pain, No Gain, and discovering that your greatest strength comes from softness, not struggle.
📱 Practice Online
This is your home studio.
A new class is waiting for you every day:
Monday: Weights with Ease
Tuesday: Tai Chi
Wednesday: LIVE Gentle Yoga
Thursday: Weights with Ease
Friday: LIVE Energize Yoga
Saturday: Tai Chi Flow
Sunday: Restorative
Get comfortable, move in a way that feels supportive, notice how you feel, and let all the benefits soak in.
→ Download the Strala Yoga app
🌿 Practice In Person
I’d love to see you.
Effingham, Illinois – Saturdays (when I’m in town)
Amsterdam – September 19–20
Weekend of Softness, Metzingen – September 26–27
OM Yoga Show, London – October 16–18
