In our ropes practice, we often hold postures for an extended amount of time. When confronted with this time, not only do we come face-to-face with our nervous system’s auto-sensed “fight-or-flight” mode, but we also are challenged with the mental capacities & uncomfortable resilience of silently sitting with our own thoughts. This is often when any emotional disturbances that we may have otherwise been avoiding or distracting ourselves from may begin to creep in. 

We often avoid feeling our feelings, especially the ones that are uncomfortable or make us feel threatened. One option is to act out through another emotion, such as anger. If only for a short while, anger allows us to feel powerful as we push away the uncomfortable vulnerability of feeling our emotions. However, in not addressing the cause of our anger, we are forced to continue our distracting patterns of avoidance.  

In being vulnerable with ourselves by allowing ourselves to feel all of our emotions, even the uncomfortable ones, we grant ourselves expanded freedom, no longer restricted by the bounds of our avoidances. In permitting ourselves to be vulnerable, we become permeable & able to live & interact with ourselves & each other with an open heart that can freely give & receive love. We increase our capacity for intimacy & connection. In that connection, we are so much stronger than we would have ever been when isolated. 

To address our emotions, we are asked to reflect on the perceived dualistic nature of our existence, body & soul, tangible & non-tangible, physical & spiritual. As we have seen, all of nature is comprised of the three gunas, raja, sattva, & tamas. These qualities intertwine in every single thing that we can perceive, including human consciousness itself. The value of self-expression is that we are each a completely unique expression of the three gunas & inherently with that, are intrinsically connected being that we are comprised of the same source energy. 

Through our pranayama practice, we begin to reflect on that “oneness” & with that, develop compassion for ourselves & each other. We begin to approach & understand the experience of existence as a never-ending spiral of change & mutation of collective influence, wisdom, & experience & overcome the ego-based restrictions & fears of isolation. 

The challenge becomes to embrace the thoughts that rise in the silence & peacefully, rhythmically, release them. To gracefully embrace, forgive, & surrender whatever we have been unconsciously holding on to in our physical & emotional bodies. Through that process, we become lighter – energetically, mentally, & emotionally.

By holding postures for a longer time, we can target our deep-muscle tissues. On an anatomical level, we encourage fresh blood flow & oxygenate & hydrate those sometimes compressed tissues. On an emotional level, we cleanse the area by bringing new awareness & energy to it. We tune into our internal world, paying special attention & care to any areas that may be holding physical or emotional tension or trauma. We send the breath to those areas & thereby activate an intimate internal awareness. This is, in part, why the breath becomes of utmost importance during our practice. 

Healing requires kindness, patience, honesty, & a surrendering of impurities & attachments. Through our practice, we learn that we can change the energies inside of us, and by connection, the energies surrounding us.