I go into the mountains to commune with the elements.
I escape the perpetual hum of the city, the people on top of people and the rows & rows of business people doing business to get some SPACE. Here in this quiet wonder I feel free to take up space and allow my mind the room it needs to de-clutter.
I play with rocks as I did when I was young, and I feel young. I feel the EARTH beneath my feet and in my hands as I play and I am reminded that I am the earth and the earth is me. I do not lord over it or even live upon it. I am it, and what a marvel of a thing it is!
I close my eyes and I feel the immense power of the rushing river nearby throughout every cell in my body and in that moment it’s as though I can feel each & every WATER molecule within me. Even in stillness, I flow as the river flows.
I feel the wind brush my skin and I savor each breath of fresh mountain AIR in my lungs. I inhale deeply and perceive that it is this same air tickling my skin or making me shiver that is actively GIVING me my very life.
I am warmed by the FIRE as the sun goes down. I gaze into the heat, watching the flames dance so wildly & free my soul is set ablaze realizing all True desires & passions that burn and dance deep within me just as the flame before my very eyes. I witness potential within myself that I had not known was there.
I experience the elements and I remember mySelf.
“This is the doctrine of my religion.
Place your hands into soil to feel grounded.
Wade in water to feel emotionally healed.
Fill your lungs with fresh air to feel mentally clear.
Raise your face to the heat of the sun and connect with that fire to feel your own immense power.”
~Victoria Erickson
I cannot personally fathom a more balanced approach to yoga than the 5 elemental class styles at Mountain Yoga Sandy.
I get to experience this personal connection to each element within myself through these classes. I am able to tap into each one of these elements individually & “treat” mySelf with the specific medicine I need on any given day. Now tell me what is that if not real POWER?!
Though I still will of course, I have found that I do not have to retreat into the mountains whenever I feel out of sync. As a warm season mountain adventurer, I no longer spend the winter months longing for the season to turn, becoming more and more a stranger to myself in my own home each day.
SPACE – Stretch
Here I am empowered to TAKE UP SPACE. I move and stretch my body allowing my mind to relax and let go of whatever it may be holding on to at the moment. I am reminded that “I am he as you are he, as you are me and we are all together”.
EARTH – Hatha
Here I re-ground. I observe my every connection point to the earth and feel light but solid, soft but stable. I experience how breath moves through my body in each of these asanas & I sense my oneness with this earth in all its forms as I move and meditate, breathing in shapes.
WATER – Restore
Here I let go. I close my eyes and focus only on my breath. I give my body permission to take a softer pose. I sink deeper and deeper into asana with my breath, my life force instead of my muscle. Despite my life’s worldly conditioning, I trust that there IS work being done even & perhaps especially in this fluid stillness.
AIR – Flow
Here I energize. With intention I connect each breath with each movement. I’ll notice my heartrate starting to rise and I maintain – one movement, one breath. As I feel the intensity build I start to flow; my breath consistent, I am as light as the air. When I arise from a hard earned savasana, I take with me that sense of lightness and feel ALIVE!
FIRE – Fusion
Here I fuel. I breathe to keep my mind still and allow the varied combination of static holds and flowing movements to challenge me, my perception. I come back to my breath over and over again. I overcome the challenge, the resistance and I see the potential I already possess. I see my purpose and I am free!
No matter who you are, where you are from or where you are going, the power of the elements are within you. YOU TOO, can connect deeply with the elements inside yourself, strengthen that connection and harness your power, realizing your potential through these classes!
Knowing which specific element you may need to tap into most on any given day may take some time. It certainly did for me. This is just the process of building your practice. I have come to learn that for myself, what I need changes frequently. Maybe it does for you too or maybe there is just one class that really resonates for you. No matter what, there is no getting it “wrong” at MYS. The important thing is just to make time for yourself on your mat and that awareness will come.
Especially if you are just starting out, come and PLAY! Experiment with different classes on different days and at different times. Come, experience your own elemental POWER and see for yourself how it is amplified by the loving and warmhearted embrace from this seriously epic community of 20+ years! The support you are sure to feel when you walk in the door is palpable. When you are here you are home.
By Amanda Kleier _ 11/1/2024
