Me, reveling in a little bit of hurkle-durkle :-) We know the studio is my second home!
It’s been a while since I’ve hit you with a blog post. I haven’t felt very inspired and I only write when I have something to say. Today, I want to share conversations we’ve been having in the studio.
First conversation was with a couple of students as I was walking in to teach my Chair Yoga class. They said that Kim Pia rolled their feet with Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls. I started Slow, Mindful Yoga with foot rolling as well. Most of you know that we (blue door teachers) do not discuss what we’re teaching; we just go in there and teach. BUT, we (human beings) are all connected and because of this we are going to teach similar poses or classes that have a similar energetic feel. There is an Ayurvedic component to this as well that I will discuss a little later.
Second conversation was in my Chair Yoga class. I introduced Pranayama work to help us work through the difficulties of this season (the holidays are A LOT!) and I started the class with a new word I learned: hurkle-durkle. I thought the word originated in the Nordic region, but I was wrong. It’s Scottish.
HURKLE-DURKLE. v. n. (Scots) To hurkle-durkle is to lie in bed or lounge about when one should be up and about.
OMG, this is the best word EVER! The consensus seems to be that everyone wants to hurkle-durkle right about now! Ayurveda has an answer and a remedy for this—of course!
We are STILL in Vata Season according to Ayurveda. Remember, Vata is characterized by cold, dry, unpredictability, a feeling of being ungrounded. Since we know this is what Vata creates within our bodies and minds, we need to pull in the opposite—warm, heavy, predictable, grounding. Eat those warm, hearty meals that are well-cooked and nourishing. Lean into routines. Walk with more mindfulness; notice the way your feet touch the earth (thus the rolling of the feet), connect with nature, steep in family/friends.
Ayurveda gives us a few more gems: breathwork that will heat you up (Mula Bandha or Agni Sara), breathwork that will clear away stagnation and create more clarity (Kapalabhati), breathwork that will balance and ground you (Nadi Shodhana).
Yoga and Ayurveda are truly remarkable, but sometimes we just need to give into the season and embrace hurkle-durkle and I’m here for it 😊
Xx
Jesi