Lately I have been considering the concepts of expansion and contraction and their relationship to both our lives and the world around us. Expansion seems easy enough to understand. It involves more...more locations, more chains of stores, more room for more stuff in our houses, expansion of the marketplace, expansion of consciousness, expansion of ideologies, expansion of the mothers' belly.

When I list the variations of expansion that I see around me, their seems to be an abundance. It seems to me we have more social experience and societal triggers for expansion than we do contraction. The only contraction that I am personally familiar with is the big 'contraction' or birthing. Yet expansion is prevalent.

In yoga we expand and contract in each class. The expansiveness of Virabadrasana II..warrior...arms reach out, legs wide; we are in our full glorious power. We are enlarged, our scope is wide and open, our personal territory has increased. Now consider the contraction of a pose like crow or crane (Bakasana) and imagine and feel the contraction, pulling in and shortening of the muscles of your core, legs and chest. Like a seed all our power is drawn inwards rather than expanding outward. Envision the expansion and contraction of each breath.

The two experiences, contraction and expansion, are all part of every yoga class and equally part of the ebb and flow of each moment, each life, each experience. This flow of in and out, inspiring and expiring, drawing in and releasing out, expanding and contracting is like the water that gathers at the deepest part of the ocean to then usher forward and expand into the wave crashing on the beach. The one precipitates the other; the one is in constant relationship with the other; the one cannot occur without the other. This is the essential flow of life.

Why then does contraction seem to be less desirable and even seemingly less accessible in our social experience? Why can I only think of one real life experience of contraction? Contraction as a word seems to contain a somewhat negative judgment. In a world of expansion, it's correlate is poo poo-ed, considered the less desirable state of being, who wants to be in a state of contraction? Yet when I apply the idea, principle to my yoga and the practice, clearly neither is better or more desirable than the other. Both reside in me, my life, my body, my understanding of the world. 

We are all affected by the times we live in. The world is one of expansion...perhaps to the edges of our own contraction. Perhaps we can only expand as much as we can contract. Perhaps we have to play the edges of expansion to truly understand the deep value of contraction. How much more as a human entity can we expand into the far reaches of the world? What is our collective experience of contraction? Do we as a society have less experience of contracting than expanding?

As I contract back into one consolidated location and close Wolf Willow, I feel the power of the movement, just like I feel it in Bakasana. Poised, balanced and empowered energy is contained in a smaller space allowing the energy within the to become more focused, crystal clear, laser fierce. For the first time since birthing, I now understand the power of contraction. The boldness to embrace both aspects of life and yoga. Expand and contract, expand and contract, expand and contract....ad infinitum.

With complete gratitude, Dawn

International Series: Align with the Divine: A Weekend of Anusara Yoga with Barrie Risman
In this workshop one would learn to apply Anusara Yoga's Universal Principles of Alignment in one's own yoga practice as the framework for attuning to one's own inner wisdom and expressing it in ways that bring healing and transformation.

Date: Friday November 6 - 8th
Location: Downtown
Registration: Weekend cost is $175+GST, at-the-door $205+GST. Each segment can be purchased separately.

Intuition 101
Date: November 14th, 2009
Time: 3:15 - 6:15PM
Location: Downtown
Price: $50+GST
Instructor: Elizabeth

EMERGING LEADERS
Date: November 28th, 2009
Time: 5:30 - 7:30PM
Location: Downtown
Price: Pre-paid $40+GST; At-the-door 45+GST
Instructor: Dawn

View workshop schedule

Partner Yoga
Date: November 14th, 2009
Time: 5:30 - 7:30PM
Location: Downtown
Price: $45+GST per couple
Instructor: Dawn

Anusara Level I of III Immersion
The Anusara Yoga Immersion is a great journey into the Anusara Yoga philosophy and technique. Led by Barrie Risman, one of Canada’s leading Anusara Yoga teachers and teacher-trainers, the Immersion program provides a powerful framework for one's own deepening relationship with the practices of asana, meditation, pranayama and contemplation.

Date: February 1-5th, 2010
Location: Downtown
Price: Early-bird $525+GST; After December 15th, 2009 $575+GST