This INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, MFML would love to salute the women in our lives who have given us the most inspiration and support.
From our teachers who have dedicated years of their lives to learning, practicing and transmitting their knowledge, to our nurturing and supportive team. We are a woman-run business who are fuelled by the hard work and passion of women. And we celebrate our mothers, our sisters and all those fiery women with heat in their bellies who live joyfully, fearlessly, who celebrate themselves and each other, who can be difficult and demanding of themselves and others.
We like to celebrate those more nurturing, softer moments in our practices and in our lives. We don’t believe the best handstand wins. We don’t believe that Insta-success is deep knowledge. MFML turns down offers to teach from teachers who have a practice dedicated to showing off their fancy poses, but we love those who have the deepest knowledge to transmit. One of our favourite teachers who teaches us all how to live in our bodies is Uma. She shows us how to celebrate our curvy, messy bodies and how to truly relax into our power with her yoga nidra practices. We also have a whole section dedicated to women’s health. I believe in supporting you through your journey, not cheerleading you through chaturanga’s or making you feel bad that you’re not a super-model.
And to mis-quote James Brown, ‘without a man, we’d be nothing’. This women-run tribe has more men in it than you’d find at most yoga classes. Maybe because guys like to just get their practice done and get on with their day, maybe simply because they like to follow the best teachers, we like to think that the guys in our tribe are brave and strong enough to show their emotions, to support each other, are willing to let go and soften and practice yin in their PJ’s in order to deepen their journey. We would like to thank all the men in our lives for their support, compassion and kindness as well as your bravery for showing up exactly as you are.
In honour of those guys, this week, we are pleased as punch to introduce one of the finest mindfulness teachers around, Toby Ouvry, from Singapore. We believe that mindfulness combined with movement is the perfect antidote to modern life. We hope that you enjoy this new Mindfulness Series.
Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
This article was written for International Women’s Day 2022 by Movement for Modern Life’s fabulous founder, Kat Farrants.
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