What Is GRIT&Grace Yoga?

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, an ancient and seminal text on yoga, states that we should practice according to the complimentary principles of Abhyasa (this is a Sanskrit word that means to practice regularly with consistency over time) and Vairagym (non attachment to an immediate particular outcome).

At Yoga Home Sligo, we translate this into a style of practice that means the discipline of showing up consistently but a devotion to showing up without the drama of demands!

We have the Grit to show up on the mat regularly BUT once we are there we have the Grace to meet ourselves where we are on any given day. This means we practice without forcing ourselves to feel a certain way or “perform”. We get real and we commit to staying real. Once we meet reality, all kinds of interesting things become possible!

This kind of authenticity is a fierce practice, but in the long run, it saves a lot of energy because pretending to be other than who and how you truly are is exhausting and deeply depleting. Once we free up this energy, we can restore, rebuild and revitalise on multiple levels.

Meeting yourself where you are does not mean “slacking off” or mean that you don’t grow in strength, endurance, flexibility and skilfulness, but it does mean that these capacities evolve gradually in authentic and therefore sustainable ways. By inviting ourselves into a GRIT&Grace practice we are stepping into a dedicated, curious and fundamentally friendly and appreciative relationship with our bodies, minds and hearts. As as my teacher Judith Hanson Lasater puts it, we

“embrace challenge but drop struggle!”

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, probably the most prominent civil rights activist of the 20th Century, was not a yoga teacher, but he certainly knew something about meeting reality with discipline and devotion. He was deeply inspired by the Indian leader Gandhi’s Satyagraha movement (means staying grounded in Truth). To me. MLK sums up the essence of Grit and Grace when he wrote this;

“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic.”

With GRIT&Grace, we channel the potency of Prana in ways that support our own individual flourishing in body mind and heart with the full understanding that we only exist because of the support of the whole tapestry of life and we aim to share whatever benefit our practice brings back into that web of intelligence and aliveness.

What to Expect in Class (Approximations)

Arrive and settle into body and breath 10 Mins

Setting Intention with theme of the day 10 Mins

Grit&Grace Dynamic Flow 70 Mins

Deep Relaxation 20 Mins

Closing Meditation 10 Mins

GRIT&Grace Yoga Flow classes are not beginning level classes. They require some familiarity with yoga practice. Having said that, if you are relatively new to yoga but have familiarity with other movement modalities and wish to explore, feel free to contact Cathi to chat about whether this class would be right for you. Text 087 1740357