Ep 20: On the power of transitions, curiosity and slowing down

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“Transitions are opportunities for great enquiry, curiosity and discovery”

Many of us come to yoga for the physical practice, but it is not just all about making shapes and repeating movements. In this episode, we talk to one of Movement For Modern Life’s most popular teachers, Clive Fogelman, on the power of transitions, both on and off the mat.

Transitions are a huge part of creating a more familiar relationship with the body so we can learn when to give more and when to stop, slow down and consolidate. By emphasising how we come in and out of a pose can create a connection throughout the practice, expand our options and empower ourselves to make mindful choices. The more we practice, the more familiar we become with it, the more we yearn for it and the more we know when we need it!

But how can tuning in during yoga help us tune into our lives?

Clive talks us through the importance of stopping, pausing and taking time to let our minds wander and be present to what emerges.

We often feel like we don’t have the time and the rush feels endless, but by slowing down we can “feel the fullness of time again” by starting to look at the spaces in between and surrendering to the experience. Clive also opens up about his experience with illness and how it forced him to take a new perspective.

So, take some time to slow down and tune in to hear how to feel the power of transitions both in your practice and in your life.

In this episode you will find out…

The power of transitions in yoga (3:50)

Yoga is not prescriptive, so how can you make it work for you?
How to use transitions to help you make mindful choices based on your feelings in the moment
Can you make the practice meet you and let go of what you think it should look like?
The importance of tuning in and pausing
How do you create a ‘bridging space’?

The importance of time and slowing down (16:09)

“In stopping and slowing down, I have more clarity, a clearer sense of priorities and experience time more fully”
Learn how to sit and let your mind wander
The benefits of shifting from doing to being, and finding windows to stop and pause
What happens when we slow down?

The link between transitions and curiosity (31:52)

Why do we avoid transitions?
If the pose isn’t the outcome, what purpose does it serve?
How can transitions help us be more curious and explorative?
Goals and targets are intrinsic to our culture, but they can narrow our vision and make use lose sight of the journey which can lead us somewhere we’d never expected
How can attachment to the outcome hinder curiosity?
Is less really more?

The lessons that life transitions can bring (48:25)

How illness gave Clive the permission he needed to slow down
The importance of taking softness and effortlessness into everyday life
How to listen to your body so you know when to give more and slow down, and how to take that beyond your mat
What is conscious relaxation?
Get Clive’s top tips for easy ways to start tuning in and slowing down