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The centre is not the head

Have you ever noticed how you walk?

Some of us move from our head, our chest, our shoulders, the rest of the body just catching up. We are in a rush to get somewhere even when there is no need. We can stand in a queue and there is nothing to do but wait and yet we are tight in the mind and body, creating an invisible barrier of separateness with the environment. It is seen in the eyes and around the mouth. We may have tension in the belly, the lower back, the neck and shoulders. A restlessness.

Imagine moving with ease and grace, soft in the eyes, soft around the mouth, taking your time to be and do, a simple attentiveness to the present. This is not passive being, it is open awareness of our moment to moment experience whether we like what’s happening or not. If there is unease, we pause, we take a breath, we feel the breath down in the lower belly and we respond from a place of balance.

We can cultivate lightness of being through a gradual process of befriending the mind and the body. It requires a meta awareness and a willingness to drop into the body and use the breath as an anchor point to feel and experience being centred. The more we realise our head is not the centre, the more we can trust the intelligence of the body and the breath to lead the way.

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Herinneringen

I am learning Dutch and the word herinneringen is one I came across at the weekend, I wanted to say: “memories are a funny thing”. (I didn’t get much beyond the first word, herinneringen!).

What is the memory of this summer just gone, was it a good one? What defines that?

Memories are part and parcel of the complex nature of being, some form deep emotional roots, others are so transient they evaporate. We cannot be who we are without our backlog of memory files, created moment by moment; they form and shape the narrative of our identity. Some files gets edited and re-edited as we retrieve them, talk about them,  and embellish them. The weight of those files, is either the baggage we carry on our backs, or,  the notepad that weighs very little.

Herinneringen is an interesting concept when we talk about mindfulness. Mindfulness is often interpreted as moment to moment awareness, but it is of course bound up with memory. The traditional Pali meaning of the word mindfulness (Sati), is seated somewhere in the realms of remembering, calling to mind. How we experience successions of now moments is based on the history of how we experience and interpret our life.

Think back on part of your summer, how much of what you remember and recollect truly reflects the experience? There is a tendency for the remembering self to focus on the negative aspects, even if they only constitute a small part of the overall experience.

The cultivation of mindfulness helps create memory files that are less judgemental, less prone to mental elaboration. We learn to experience  our day to day without getting caught up in the proliferating narrative and the meta narrative that ensues. This happens over time as we develop our mindfulness practice and get to know our selves better.

Herinneringen

I am learning Dutch and the word herinneringen is one I came across at the weekend, I wanted to say: “memories are a funny thing”. (I didn’t get much beyond the first word, herinneringen!).

What is the memory of this summer just gone, was it a good one? What defines that?

Memories are part and parcel of the complex nature of being, some form deep emotional roots in our being, others are so transient they evaporate into the ether. We cannot be who we are without our backlog of memory files that are being created each moment; some files gets edited and re-edited as we retrieve them, talk about them,  and embellish them. The weight of those files, is either the baggage we carry on our backs, or the notepad that weighs nothing.

Herinneringen is an interesting concept when we talk about mindfulness. Minfulness is often interpreted as moment to moment awareness, but it is of course bound up with memory. How we experience successions of now moments is based on the history of how we experience our lives and how we recollect those experiences, what emotions and embellishments we attach to them.

The cultivation of mindfulness helps create memory files that are less judgmental, less prone to mental elaboration. We learn to experience  our day to day without getting caught up in the proliferating narrative and the meta narrative that ensues. Heed the remembering self through experiencing moment to moment life without the negative bias that can be the rod of the remembering self.

 

Workshops

Yoga workshops allow for a deepening of your practice beyond the physical movements of yoga, delving further into your mind and heart.

Get out of  your comfort zone

This half day work shop is offered on a one to one private basis at a time and date that works for you.

What do you need to do to change aspects of your life, so that you can realise the potential for your own personal growth? Whether it’s your career, your family, your relationships, or specific traits within yourself that you wish to change; this workshop is explicitly designed to get you out of your comfort zone into a space that allows for growth and change.

In a one to one, in person guided session, you will explore your comfort zone, this will allow you to see clearly what your boundaries are. Seeking to understand why you stay in the safe zone and what gets in the way of moving beyond this.

In this workshop I use a variety of tools and techniques from the world of yoga: movement practice, specific breathing and meditation techniques, mind analysis, and journaling. to help you to achieve the mindset and action plan required to be the best version of who you are on a more regular basis. The mindset aspect is key. This is about taking the time to really understand yourself and what gets in your way.

You will leave the workshop understanding your inhibitors and knowing what you can do to move beyond restraints and barriers.  You will define key goals that you would like to achieve in the coming 6 months. By the end of the workshop you will have a defined action plan with the tools and  techniques to help you move forward to achieve at least one or more of your personal goals.

3.5 hours of one to one workshop contact and a 30 minute zoom follow up session to monitor your progress. This takes place within 3 months following the workshop.

The workshop is in a safe well ventilated environment, refreshments and snacks provided. The sessions are organised at a date and time that works for you.

All sessions are carried out in the strictest confidence.

Book now: satty.verbart@gmail.com or WhatsApp 0623598162

(This workshop was offered as a New Year New You workshop but I have decided to continue to offer it on a request basis throughout the year).

Previous Workshops

Yoga, meditation and creativity to unlock your flow state!

Saturday 12th December 10:00 to 12:30 ( group session, via zoom invitation)

An online yoga and creativity workshop to explore how yoga and meditation can unlock the creative portal within all of us. Studies show the correlation between yoga and meditation and a more open flow state 🙂

The workshop will incorporate vinyasa flow yoga, mindfulness and meditation practices and creative expression through drawing or painting.  It is not necessary to be an artist, or an experienced yoga practitioner, simply having an open mind and willingness to explore. The workshop will help enhance internal awareness, self-expression, and mind-body integration.

The materials are up to you, a pencil or lots of coloured pens or even paints, either a canvas or paper, big or small whatever you have! The object of study will be a plant if you have one or something else that is pleasing to the eye with enough form, shape and texture to explore. A vase of flowers is also an option.

(Please note the purpose of the session is not artistic show and tell or critiquing).

Materials required for the session:
Yoga mat, cushion and blanket
Any or all of the following:
Pencil / Pen / Felt tip pens / Paints
Journal or notepad for writing,  and any of the following A4 plain paper / A3 plain paper/ Canvas

I would like to pledge $100  from this workshop to the Centre for Contemplative Research in Colorado. The centre will be researching the nature and potentials of consciousness through a collaboration between scientists and highly trained experienced meditators. Whilst meditation is thousands of years old there is still more to be done to verify the many benefits scientifically. The centre has the blessing and support of the Dalai Lama. There are more details here:

https://vimeo.com/283714132

 

Letting Go, Letting Be

Saturday 20th October 10:00 to 12:30

This workshop will look at what our stress triggers are, at home and in the workplace. What can we do to better manage the trigger and the response? How can we learn to become less reactive so that we don’t hurt ourselves or the people around us?

Letting Go, Letting Be, is about understanding the connection between the mind and body before we even reach the stress trigger.  The relationship is pivotal to our understanding, we can start to see how the trigger manifests itself, catching it early before we react. We will look at how we can change our habitual mode of reacting to one that is more skillful and more responsive.

There will be some yoga practice, guided  and silent meditation breathing exercises to help calm the mind during our stress triggers, and some journal writing.

Please bring a notebook and pen.

Welcome to Whatever Comes!

Saturday 13th January 10:00 to 12:30

In this workshop we welcome whatever comes in this new year. We learn to accept and embrace with joy and heartfulness through yoga, mindfulness and meditation.

Book early to secure your place, call 06 23598162 or email satty@sattyyoga.nl

Please bring a notebook and pen with you. There are yoga mats and blankets available but if you want to bring your own then please do so.

What will I get out of this workshop?

1. Learn to accept and open your heart through postures and breathwork, experiencing a softer, more open and accepting connection with yourself and others.

2. Experience grounding yourself through the breath, whatever life throws your way. Learning to deal with difficulties in a more balanced way.

3. Understand what acceptance means in your life and what intentions you will set for the year ahead.

 

Release the Knot of Contraction

Saturday 16th December 10:00 to 13:00

1. Understand the connection between the mind and the body. Tightness in the mind brings tightness in the body and vice versa

2. Get to drop out of your head into your body as you explore the knot of self contraction

3. Guided meditation to tune into difficulty expressed in the body

4. Releasing unnecessary tension in the mind and body brings us back into balance and the present moment

5. Learn how to develop a relationship to tension. Learn how to release the knot of contraction through sustained practice

About

Hello, my name is Satty VerbArt, I live and work in Amersfoort. My purpose is to share my passion for yoga, mindfulness and meditation with you, so that you can experience the transformational benefits for yourself.

I started practicing yoga almost 20 years ago, I wanted to become a more grounded person, not so impacted by work or family stress. I knew yoga had physical benefits and I was curious about the mental benefits.

I started my yoga experience with the Ashtanga primary series. I also explored Hatha yoga and Bikram yoga, and in the last 10 years started to cultivate my own meditation practice, this allowed me to uncover the inner body and the co-dependent relationship with the mind. My yoga evolved and so did I. I learned that the real benefits went beyond being able to do the perfect downward dog or warrior poses, that yoga is in fact more about the internal than the external.

My practice has become one of integrated yoga and mindfulness. Yoga is the union of the mind and the body through the breath. A non judging, non striving approach to yoga; a felt experience that goes beyond the work on the mat. We experience the natural energetics of the body and at the same time still the fluctuations of the mind.

The classes I give vary from dynamic ashtanga based sequences to slow flow movement. All classes embody mindfulness, meditation and movement, a process of cultivating balance and harmony so we feel more centred, grounded, and at ease.

I studied the foundations of yoga and yoga philosophy with the British Wheel of Yoga. This was a sound basis for personal development and the start of the journey towards becoming a yoga teacher.  I did the 8 week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy Course which helped develop my mindfulness and meditation practice. This was a pre-requisite to study Integrated Yoga and Mindfulnesss with Hugh Poulton, a 200 hour yoga alliance teaching qualification. (Hugh Poulton is one of the UK’s most experienced mindfulness teachers, his work is referenced in Mark William’s bestselling book “Mindfulness: a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world”).

Whilst the term mindfulness has become very widely used, and in many respects over simplified, it remains the cornerstone for cultivating greater awareness of the unity of the mind and body and our relationship to physical and mental tension. Through yoga and mindfulness we learn to recognise how our mental states are expressed in the body and how this impacts our moment to moment experience.

Gradually, through a continued practice, yoga will bring an inner peace. You will discover a calmer mind, a more open heart and a smile that radiates from within.

Keep Smiling! 🙂