The butterfly metamorphosis is truly one of nature’s most miraculous events. As a caterpillar voraciously nourishes its body in order to grow and change, it molts and lets go of old layers. Sound familiar? We too nourish our bodies in our yoga practice. By inhaling oxygen, we nourish cells. And then we let go of the parts of the air not serving us as we exhale. Exhales also give us the opportunity to release tension in the body. Now that’s transformative!
growth
is a process
One day, when the caterpillar is ready to transform, it crawls away from its host plant, and in effect, away from everything it has ever known to pause inside its chrysalis. Ahhh. So sometimes our transformation requires us to leave behind even bigger things than exhales… like, maybe consumerism, addictions, toxic environments, and even relationships that are not aligned with our higher good.
Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar actually liquefies, unwinding and rewinding its DNA before transforming into our favorite four-winged insect. During this time the pupa is still somewhat aware of its surrounding and can wiggle and respond to stimuli. Crazy right? And after eclosion (the butterfly’s emergence from its chrysalis) it hangs in utter stillness, relying on gravity to bring life force to its wings. Oh now that is sounding a bit like a vinyasa yoga class followed by a savasana if you ask me. Vinyasa uses breath, postures and transitions to move in the body in ways that help us connect to the moment while strengthening and stretching our physical, mental and emotional bodies. Then in savasana is where the true transformation occurs. All our cells learning and growing during the pause.
If you are seeking a metamorphosis, a transformation into that beautiful butterfly you have inside, please find one of my classes. We’ll breathe, be, and develop together. You might consider exploring your growth at a new studio in midtown. I’ll help you fly at Fly Yoga Midtown beginning Monday, June 6 at 9am. 75 minutes of FLO to DEEP SPACE. Let’s find your wings in that new beautiful space.
