Exploring Possibility 2021

Here we are at last beginning to feel the surge of rising Spring energy as the days get longer and evenings lighter, as well as snowdrops, daffodils, and primroses all blooming.

And we can also see the beginnings of a brave new world emerging with such optimism and possibility, after a long challenging, tumultuous year of Covid lockdowns, restrictions on our freedom, heavy heartedness, and dispiritedness.

Possibility is such a poignant word right now, we can feel it right at the tip of our fingers. The possibility of conclusively getting some normality back in our lives; work, hobbies, travel, adventures, family get-togethers, socialising with friends, pubs, restaurants, concerts, festivals, holidays and above all coming together as communities again – perhaps through yoga practice.

All of that said, I’ve kind of got used to my daily inner recluse lockdown routine, as have many of you I’m sure. However, now the UK has an exit plan, I feel that many of us have lost our sense of purpose or direction and are asking ourselves the un-nerving question, “What am I going to do now?”

I have been mulling over all the things that I miss pre covid, but also how my mindset and goals have changed considerably since covid. I am not the same person that I was a year ago, this pandemic has taught me so much about myself and more than anything, I’ve had the time to reflect on what I want to do and where I want to be in my future life.

I have been fortunate, as although I have had my own share of heaviness and felt very low on some days, the past year has also allowed me the time to stop working so much, to stop striving, to let go of trying to be more, to look after me, and dare I say, I feel that I have arrived at a stage in my life whereby I am proud of my achievements and I no longer have such driven ambition. In fact, I now have a much clearer vision of where I want to be in my life at the age of 54.

I literally have asked myself, “What is no longer serving” and “How can I simplify my life more to create more time for my family and myself?”, as well as “What still ignites passion and motivates me”. My intention being to establish a new way being and move forwards with deeper clarity and motivation for this new chapter of my life.

Over the past year, I have really appreciated having evenings and weekends to myself for the first time in 18 years, so one thing I know for sure is that I’ve decided I will no longer be teaching regular weekly classes. If you have attended these classes in the past, I really hope you understand – and you can rest assured that there are plenty of fabulous yoga teachers in and around our area now. I can remember a time when I was one of only about 4 teachers in Milton Keynes when I first started out and now there is an abundance.

Whilst this is sad and will certainly mark the end of an era for me, I’m also excited to concentrate on the more specialised diverse part of my work that inspires me and is also rewarding in return; one to one therapeutic sessions, one to one teacher mentoring, mindfulness courses, the occasional specialised masterclass or workshop and of course I will continue with my retreats which have such a wonderful following now.

Something new that has been born out of the past year was my YouTube channel, I originally started this, to offer online classes to my regular students over lockdown and never expected anything back in return. However, it has been such a wonderful platform and has given back more than I could have possibly imagined. I regularly receive messages of gratitude and inspiration from both yoga teachers and yoga students, with the added bonus of having re-connected with students that I have not seen in years and years.

By setting clear intentions, and then daring to share them or even saying them out loud, we are letting the Universe know exactly what we want to manifest for ourselves as we transition into this budding, brighter, and optimistic Spring/Summer of 2021.

These intentions need to be set in practices that involve silence, awareness, breathing and kindness towards ourselves. There also needs to be a remembrance that we cannot awaken and rebirth until we are able to spring clean by shedding old layers, habits, and antiquated beliefs. We therefore need to ask ourselves; “What do I need to let go of?” “What do I want to awaken in myself?” “What possibilities does my/our future vision hold”.

Quite simply when we wake up and listen, to our own empowerment, we then ultimately feel empowered, abundant, alive, vibrant and life flows more smoothly.

This has been a year of indefiniteness, and we have learnt that even if we have had no control over what is happening around us, we do always have control over our mindset. This is where the concept of possibility is most potent.

Learning to hold possibility in our hearts and minds can help us balance the art of letting go, working out what the past year has taught us and where that might take then us, then actively creating, and trusting the process of moving forwards.

Doing this work will make ‘possibility’ your new reality – and this is the path of yoga. Nothing in life is binary or easy to define, however, we can tune in to our senses as well as intuition and be guided by them. Life is constant, circumstances invariably change, who we are in relation to others is always in a constant state of fluctuation, walls move, relationships shift, and life becomes more complex.

Change is the only constant. Living in possibility is simultaneously disconcerting but also liberating. Living in possibility means we get to reinvent ourselves with every breath and every cycle of life. And what we practice, we become more adept at, body and mind, we get to choose where we want to focus our future energy. It’s challenging and scary at the same time, but when we explore change, the possibilities are endless.

‘Behind me is infinite power. Before me is endless possibility. Around me is boundless opportunity. Why should I fear?’ – Stella Stuart

Sending so much love and support – as you too navigate your way forwards in to a brave new world 

Brigitte xx