Inspiration from the Sky

There is no doubt about it. The natural world is FULL of inspiration. When we take a moment to put down our phones and look around, there is so much to learn from the intricate web of our natural world. I was recently hosting a retreat in a temperate rainforest, a beautiful area of the UK where, thanks to the loving care of owner and care giver to the land Merlin, an enormous 1000 year restoration project is underway. My time at Cabilla left me incredibly inspired and I found a deep reconnection to nature in such a short space of time.

This month, the classes that I am sharing on The Practice are all inspired by the natural world and, more specifically, birds. To be honest, that is the only real thread of connection between the classes - I created the flows around poses which were named after birds!

So I thought I would share some musings this month on some quotes and poems about birds that I think you’ll enjoy!

“You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren.”

— William Henry Hudson, 'Afoot In England'

I’ve sat with these words a few times. I’ve found different ‘meanings’ through each read. But what I keep landing upon is the questioning of our relationship with expectations. Now, bare in mind that I found this quote out of it’s fuller context so William Henry Hudson fans you might tell me that I am writing my own narrative here, but when I think about these words in the context of our yoga practice I consider the times where I have been impatient with myself, wanting to be somewhere other than where I am. Sometimes we expect so much of ourselves for no reason. We cannot fly like an eagle if we are not prepared and practiced. We cannot launch ourselves safely and easefully into inversions if we have not put in the practice (for most of us at least!) and when we expect too much of ourselves on or off the mat, we are likely to disappoint ourselves. You know the saying “ Fail to prepare? Prepare to Fail.” - it’s a little like that. We have to do the work. Our spiritual practice is no different. We have to be willing to show up time and time again, meeting ourselves where we are and acknowledging the parts of ourselves and our journey that might feel sticky and uncomfortable. Without that willingness to show up, and that dedication and commitment, how can we expect ourselves to experience growth?

“ No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.”

— William Blake

There’s something incredibly humbling about these words to me. I liken it to the sentiment that we have the power to be whatever we want but to be so, we must not stand on others. We must forge our own path and we can fly up and up and up, so long as we do so by our own doing. And of course, when we get to the top, or even as we head in that direction, we might like to hold out a hand and bring others along with us too.

“When you are convinced that all the exits are blocked, either you take to believing in miracles, or you stand still like the hummingbird.
”

— Henry Miller, 'Stand Still Like The Hummingbird'

I love this image. Thinking of all the times I have been looking for an answer or trying to work out which way to turn, so often the thing to do is to be still. And while that stillness can often be the least comfortable place to be, it is usually where we find the most profound answers. And of course, our practice offers us that place to be still, to let the world continue moving around us and find a way to get still and quiet so that we can listen more closely.

When things feel like a lot, when you are not sure which way to turn, perhaps, rather than trying to frantically seek the answer, we should try standing still and letting the answer come to us.

Ok, and just one more...

“Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her; still, she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.”

— Victor Hugo

Trust. Trust in yourself. Trust that you have what it takes to navigate the changing winds or the break of the branch. Do not live in fear for you have everything that you need to fly if the branch beneath you breaks.