Keeping practice simple

Daily practice is important. It helps to connect us to our spiritual path, and to anchor us into our lives. Committing to a daily practice isn’t always easy. We often simplicity-01want to rush down the road, and simplicity gets pushed aside for complexity. I see this a lot in yoga. We often want to jump into the complexity of inversions and arm balances, and only use sun salutations as a warm up. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t reach for things that are complex, but we have to start where we are. Simplicity invites us to start at the foundation. In yoga, this may be simply showing up to your mat, having a seat and breathing deep
ly. Yoga is harmonizing the breath, the body, and movement into an integrated, embodied flow. Simply breathing is where we start, anything beyond that is magic.

Where are the foundations of your practice?  How often do you return to check in with that base layer of your Great Work?

In yoga, much of the other more complex poses and sequences are found in sun salutation. There is so much that happens in those 12 asana. There are some months, where I solely focus on building this base. Coming back to sun salutations, not as a warm up to my practice, but as the practice it self. There are some days when rolling out the mat and sitting on it are enough.

From that place of simplicity, I find myself able to reach for the more complex aspects of my practice. When things get out of control, or more difficult to manage, I return to the foundational work. I pause, sit and breath… from there I move, and I build until I arrive at a place that feels right for that moment.

How we define simplicity will vary from person to person, and practice to practice, and moment to moment. This is just an invitation to explore what you are currently doing, to invite simplicity into your work.

 

 

New name, new energy, new growth

 

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A while back I put this blog on hold. There were lots of changes on the horizon. Life was taking new and dynamic twists and turns, and I needed time to find myself in the chaos.  Things are beginning to balance out, and I’m feeling called to kick the blog into high gear. Over the past few  years I’ve moved from DC to Columbia, SC, I’ve deepened and leaned into studying Feri Tradition witchcraft again, and am creating more poetry. Life is calling me to do more than just observe.

My yoga practice is also shifting from that of a physical practice to once of devotion. The path of Bhakti is the path of devotion and love, and this progression for me feels natural. When we do asana (physical practice) we can do so in devotion, and this is something I’ll be exploring in this blog.

Change really is a beautiful and powerful thing.  It helps us to see where our power is, and it lets us do the deeper work of integration, and this is the deeper work of yoga.

Yoga is the process of integrating breath, body and spirit. Magic and witchcraft aligns in very much the same way. This blog is my place to explore the intersections of my work as a witch and yogi. Over the years I spent a lot of time holding my parts in separate compartments, and in order to be whole, it is important to notice the beautiful meeting places that allow me to deepen my experience. As a teacher, it is also important for me to use the tools I’m asking others to take on.

With this blog, I hope to also build community. We are living in a world that is shifting quickly. I hope you find a place to sit, to breath, and I hope you find inspiration. This blog is an experiment in my truth. It’s a place for me to explore the dynamics of my practice. If you have questions, or if something calls to you, reach out and connect.  I’m going to be creating Facebook group, and much more over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Namaste!

www.michaelbrazell.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com