Ignite Your Inner Fire: Embrace the Journey with Safe Harbor Yoga

Feel the Fire

The fire is the light within you. It's the moment the body is ignited with passion for individual light, shine, and ability, showing and sharing what you’re capable of with the world.

Safe Harbor Yoga has taken a significant step through yoga, education, and wellness. Recently, we hosted a local retreat focused on self-care and reflection. Within this retreat, we dedicated time to “feel the fire.”

We began with simple asana movements, or postures. This is often the starting point for many in their yoga journey. Many find a video online or stumble upon a local class. My journey began in a teacher recertification class. It was here that I started to notice what my body could do instead of being reminded of what it couldn’t. I explain this in more detail in the blog post “Safe Harbor Yoga: An Origin Story.”

Connecting Body and Breath

Much growth can occur when we connect the body to the breath and engage the mind. During the retreat, we often reconnected with our body and breath. We took time to acknowledge not just how our muscles felt, but also our emotional state. Recognizing that the two are intertwined is crucial. We also tested our personal boundaries. We kept the movements light, choosing a short breathwork practice that engages the body in a gentle way. This is where we began to feel the fire.

A reminder students are often told at Safe Harbor Yoga

After a few rounds, we quickened the pace. We noticed changes physically, mentally, and emotionally. This allowed a meditative state to wash over us. The feeling is similar to those who enjoy a meditative run or a brief retreat into silence. We quickened again, exploring what was possible. Could we push through when the mind resisted? We found it challenging to maintain focus as the pace increased. There was less time to prepare, and if our minds strayed for an instant, mistakes happened. As an instructor, I didn’t mind the mistakes. I wanted to see how they responded after meeting their personal threshold, their fire.

Embrace the Fall

Become familiar with who you are at this moment. Recognize the person who walked the walk, climbed the challenge, and traveled a distance. See the person you were with the knowledge you had, accepting them, and identify the person you are now with new knowledge within.

Some participants pressed on, pretending the mistake didn’t happen. Others took a break, catching their breath before continuing or restarting the pattern. A few expressed frustration, mentally beating themselves up for something beyond their control, but rather a matter of practice.

I had my participants stop, place their hands on their hearts, and close their eyes. They connected to their breath and body, identifying how they felt physically, mentally, and emotionally. I encouraged them to compare these feelings without labeling them as good or bad. They practiced simply existing and reminded themselves that they were enough.

The Power of Self-Acceptance

Embracing the fall is the moment after recognizing oneself. It's when we look in the mirror and truly see who is there. We must love, accept, and grow with that person. It’s about treating ourselves as we would a best friend—someone we forgive, encourage, and connect with.

This blog post was inspired not only by the recent retreat but also by a personal practice I strive to maintain. Each solstice, both summer and winter, I remind myself of the person I was. I reflect on my journey as a student, educator, instructor, and small business owner. I also think about who I want to become—not just a successful business owner, but a yoga therapist and someone who aims to leave the world better than I found it. If I can’t change the world, I strive to make a positive impact in my small corner of it.

Solstice Challenge: Can you complete 108? A practice of mentally pushing through, of detoxing, and accepting what is.

Using Sun Salutation A (there is also a B version), I aim to complete 108 rotations or cycles on both sides of my body. I break it down into small increments, usually working in groups of 10 or 20 throughout the day. I do this for the mental, emotional, and physical detox, for the fire, and to accept the fall. Keeping track of progress can be challenging. Returning to the mat and the work is even more so. Some can complete this in one go—cycling through the flow without stopping until all 108 are done. I’m not there yet, but it’s something I strive for.

The Importance of Rest

This brings me to the final point of embracing the fall: knowing when to rest. Rest is productive and necessary for growth. It serves as a reset for our body and mind. It gives us time to absorb and process new information, preparing for the next encounter. If we push without rest, we risk deteriorating our body and mind.

Often, the savasana or meditation part of practice is what our minds and bodies resist the most. It's also the practice that helps us see the fire after feeling it and embrace the fall after finding our feet once again.

If you enjoyed this blog post and want to learn more about your internal fire and fall, become a site member with Safe Harbor Yoga’s website at www.stormlakesafeharboryoga.com at no charge, or follow us on our socials for the most up-to-date happenings!

May you find peace in the mind, the heart, and each day moving forward.