“Perhaps the biggest tragedy of our lives is that freedom is possible, yet we can pass our years trapped in the same old patterns… We may want to love other people without holding back, to feel authentic, to breathe in the beauty around us, to dance and sing. Yet each day we listen to inner voices that keep our life small.” – Tara Brach

According the ancient texts, Dhrti – meaning determination and courage – is one of the first virtues we must cultivate to actualise the changes we desire. The root of the word ‘courage’ comes from the Latin ‘cor’, meaning ‘heart’. Traditionally courage refers to “speaking one’s mind by telling all one’s heart”, yet what if we have blocked ourselves from connecting to our heart wisdom?

The Bhagavad Gita 6.25 states that one way to hear the wisdom of the heart is through the practice of Pratyahara – withdrawing the senses in order to block out the noise that thwarts our ability to truly listen. This is further commented on in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 2.28, encouraging us to the mat as a means of finding the courage and steadiness that lead us to discriminative insight.

When we connect to our Lion Heart, we find the courage to rise in the face of our fears and to honour what truly matters to us. In our May Yoga Intensive we will move through the layers of our being to reconnect with what matters most and tune into living from that space with steadiness, determination and courage.

The powerful Vinyasa flow tests us to move to our edge, asking us to uncover the Lion Heart that will take us deeper than the confines of our mind, to a place of strength and resilience. Then, as the vital life force of Prana becomes free to flow effortlessly through the physical body, it starts to bring to the surface all that had previously laid dormant in our unconscious mind – giving us insights into our life experiences with a more open and compassionate understanding, unlocking a deeper sense of courage in our ability to grasp their teachings and freeing us to move fearlessly forwards.

A carefully crafted krama of sacred Yoga practices – incorporating Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Dhyana (meditation), Prarthana (prayer), chanting Mantra with the ancient Harmonium, and an immersive guided Śavāsana of sound healing – will guide you on a liberating journey to awaken the Lion Heart and cultivate the courage to fearlessly follow the whispers of the Soul.