I’m sitting in the courtyard. The sky clear blue above, hot rays of sun warming my skin. Grasses whisper in the breeze, a bee buzzes around a yellow lily. There’s a burst of laughter, a passing conversation. Cutlery rattles as the dining trolley is wheeled through to the kitchen.

I was partway through my teacher training week, feeling held in the space and held in the community as the gentle hustle and bustle of retreat activity went on around me. I was back at Vajrasana, a beautiful retreat centre in the heart of rural Suffolk. I felt part of the Breathworks family, experiencing a deep connection with the people, the practice, the training and the environment I was in. I was aware of my breath deep within my body, of gentle flutterings of excitement in my chest, a smile on my face.

‘Connection’ was a common intention set by many during the opening ceremony and the layers of connection continued to grow through every dimension of the training retreat. My intention was ‘flexibility’. Could I be flexible in how I approached the week, especially in my pacing? Could I view the experience and the course material with a ‘Beginner’s Mind’ (Suzuki)? This intention set me up for a week of spontaneity and creativity; it opened up possibility and brought with it a sense of playfulness and lightness, which touched all aspects of the days ahead. I adjusted my pacing and self-care as I went, listening and responding to my needs, dipping into my toolbox without fixed expectations. I found myself doing a teaching practice session at a moment’s notice, reconnecting with my teaching skills and sharing my love of the material. There was a sense of ease in this flexibility, of simplicity and allowing. KISS. Keep It So Simple.

Despite the excitement of the week, I felt more grounded in my body than I have for a long time. This was supported by the beautiful embodied presence of my trainer, Anjali. She constantly encouraged us to drop into our bodies in new and varied ways. During another moment of spontaneity, Anjali guided our small group in a visualisation that led into a free movement to music session. How we laughed and cried together! From this place of being deeply grounded in my body, I was able to process my experience in the moment, with a kindly awareness and self-compassion that was invaluable. 

I’m sitting in my chair. My body sinks into the supportive seat. A light scarf gently covers my shoulders. I become aware of my breath flowing in and out of my body. A reflective question is dropped in like a pebble in a pool of water, the answer bubbling up to the surface. “What’s alive for you?” There’s a feeling of warmth, of energy and breath radiating from my lower spine. I feel content with where I am now. There’s a gentle fluttering around my heart. I’m looking forward to the path that’s unfolding ahead of me. 

When I’m grounded in my body, flexibility and creativity can lightly flow and anything is possible. Can I continue with this flexible approach, maintaining this sense of grounded excitement? Where will this growing connection with the practice of mindfulness and the Breathworks community take me to next? Whilst I have reached the end of my formal training, with just a practice course to run ahead of accreditation, it’s exciting to realise that this really is just the beginning. My connection with Breathworks, with my mindfulness practice, and with my relationship to the course material will continue to grow. There is no end point and I find that so exciting.

With love and thanks to my fellow retreatants and all at Breathworks x

You can read about my introductory teacher training retreat here.