July/August 2020: On letting go and beginning again

Today, 7am, on 23 July 2020.

My travels in Spain were marvellous. I saw my family, practiced with Fernando in Bilbao and Kia in Mairena, soaked up the sun and breathed in the mountain air, danced my heart out with the most beautiful group imaginable, ate the nicest food and caught up with dear friends. I needed it. This year has been … quite something …

The 12 days spent with Kia deserve special mention. The trip was always going to be moving. After Rosina’s passing in February, Kia is my only teacher. With care and attention, she prepared a practice for me to work on alone, without Rosina. It is full of curious recesses where I will be able to observe and experiment until we see each other again. Of course, this stirred up a lot in me. Her philosophy sessions in the afternoon were the perfect support for this uncomfortable shift to happen.

On the first day, she asked us to let go of anything we were holding on to, and to begin again. She encouraged us to do this often, not as a one off. I am mourning the loss of my dearest friend and Kia’s words resonated with me, as I have had to reconfigure everything I do to be with her in this new form. The truth is, in 2020 we are all mourning something so I wanted to share this with you. Letting go and beginning again is necessary right now.

Things are likely to continue shifting as we move into the future. Even the ground we stand on is uncertain. No matter what you think about how things are taking place, we cannot go forward clinging onto what we had in February or March 2020.

We will open our studio online in September, and this is the practice I will be teaching those students who return to us. To let go and begin again. Pure strengthening work. I cannot wait to see you.

Laura x
https://www.lauragonzalez.co.uk/yoga

What I have been listening to

My friend Jane recommended to me Kino McGregor’s Yoga Inspiration podcast. I like Kino, I think she is an extraordinary practitioner and a very interesting person, but I never go out of my way to find her or her teachings. After listening to the podcast, I must admit that maybe I should, because every single episode is enlightening, very knowledgeable, generous, clear and careful. She is fantastic. She is very funny too. I started with the one on doubt and it won me over in the first few minutes.

What I have been reading

Sharon Salzberg reflects on the practice of letting go and beginning again and, like Kia, she links it to that other beautiful (but to me also very hard) practice, Metta, or loving kindness:

Conditioning tells us that if we would only berate ourselves enough, blame ourselves enough, and consider ourselves failures enough, we’d accomplish a lot more. In truth, those habits usually leave us exhausted and demoralized. If we were to look at how we accomplish the most, make the most progress in any endeavor, or put out the most sustained effort in seeking change, it’s a very different environment that brings us closer to our aim […] Can we begin again without rumination and regret?

What I have been practicing

Letting go, beginning again and metta are what I have been practicing but if you are not guided, like I was, by Kia, they may feel a little abstract to you. The breath, however, already holds them. I have been practicing simple breath observation: seeing what comes up with each breath, but letting go of it to make space for the next one, whether it was good, or not. Without judgement. This is very important. Let go of judgement. Don’t attach to how something should be. This is what binds us to suffering. The breath is its own reward. I have been practicing letting the breath be as it is. Above all, I have been extending gratitude to my own breath, at this time when breathing has become so precious.

I will be resuming pranayama (breath) classes, online initially, on the first Thursday of each month. If you want to practice breath and learn how to strengthen your nervous, immune and respiratory systems, do join me. Details below.

My beautiful teacher Kia will be opening her online shala regularly this autumn and the first session will take place during the week of 7-11th September 2020. She will offer 3 mornings of meditation, Mysore practice, a led primary and sangha connection. I will be there and I could not recommend it higher. This online shala kept us sane during lockdown and strengthened us, our practice and our community, many of whom I had the fortune to meet in person in Spain this summer. It is so inclusive, so nourishing and such fun, I call this group my yoga family!

OPEN CLASSES

Although we will not be able to get into our physical space at the Arlington, our studio, Rosina Bonsu Moves, will be opening a programme of online classes from 14 September. My classes are:

Tuesdays
07.15 – 08.30/09.00
ONLINE | Yoga (Led into Mysore)Thursdays
07.15 – 08.30/09.00
ONLINE | Yoga (Led into Mysore)*
*Pranayama first Thursday of every month
ONLINE | 1 October
ONLINE | 5 November

£5 PER CLASS

I am also available for pranayama one-to-one sessions online (introductory or following up your practice).In Yoga (Led into Mysore), we will work through the Ashtanga Primary Series, with guidance and modifications, and with a view to develop a self-practice in time. The whole group will start together with the opening mantra, sun salutations and the standing sequence. Then, I will continue to lead the class (until 8.30) while at the same time giving space for Mysore practitioners to work with their sequence, receiving individual guidance and support to expand their personal practice. The space will be open until 9am for Mysore practitioners, or for those who want a long relaxation.

The full Rosina Bonsu Moves programme is designed to support you now that we know this new way of living is not going to change any time soon. The full schedule will be online shortly. You will be able to check out the full offer here, there are some excellent teachers and interesting classes!

RCS CLASSES

I will be working regularly with various programmes at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and also offering classes to students and staff from end of September. If you are staff or student at the RCS and want to know more, get in touch for details.