SOUL CIRCUS

THE PROJECT

Soul Circus is a world-renowned yoga festival held in the UK each August. From seasoned yogis to those just starting out on their journey, everyone is welcome. Soul Circus also release seasonal journals throughout the year, filled with stories, journeys, images and more.

I wrote a piece for the Summer journal, all about ‘Raising Vibrations’. The piece was all about finding joy in movement and focusing on how it feels, rather than how things look.

THE WORK

From rolling to stomping and everything in between, freedom flows have become my tonic when the world has seemed too crazy. When things were spinning too fast and my anxiety peaking, moving my body in a way that feels good always brings me back down to Earth.

I give little regard to what these flows look like, having spent years being told or shown how a flow or pose should look and striving for the ‘perfect’ pose; this past year, I threw most of that out of the window.

Yes, I have practices that focus more on alignment, posture, and all the technical stuff, but a part of my practice I save just for me to feel wild and free.

As a trained Vinyasa teacher, I still have love and respect for a class plan and a well-crafted flow. Sometimes that is precisely the thing that we need, but lately, I have been deep-rooted in the pleasure of spinal waves and body rolls, undoing the kinks and notches in my back and my soul as I go.

This past year, there have been weeks where I haven’t moved my body at all and days where I have flowed for hours on end. Still, no matter where I was, if I were feeling lost or low, I would eventually lay down on my mat and rock around for a while, finding small movements to bring my body back and to start flowing in a way which I would revel in later.

My quiet in the chaos, flowing with freedom and ease, has been the thing I have turned to regularly. While it has made me feel amazing, it has also taught me a few things and reminds me why I started yoga in the first place.

I started with the intention of finding some movement to calm my mind.

To find some space in my body and to have something to focus on. My practice has developed and grown over the years, considering I couldn’t hold a downward dog in my first class! However, with the joys of movement and growth came regimented ideas and ideologies on certain poses and flows, taking me further away from my initial ‘why.’

My ‘why’ has remained the same throughout, albeit quieter and not as prominent at times, but it has always been the reason that I come back to and the reason that I flow. Realising that, I have thrown the rule book out the window and flow as I feel with a good playlist turned up to the max.

As for the things it has taught me, well, firstly, not to be so judgmental of myself and others. I really try to focus on myself, but often I am my own worst critic. Wondering if I could get further into a fold or whether I could just work on opening that right hip a little bit more. These freedom flows are free. They’re easy-going, they’re imperfect, they’re sweaty, and they’re fun.

For me, yoga has become less about how it looks and all about how it feels. Flowing in my underwear or wearing my favourite catsuit, feeling empowered and powerful, creative and free, indulging in the kind of movement that I adore. The next time you get on your mat, I would love for you to move in a way that just flows.

No expectations or preconceptions; just move and go with the flow.