I promised I would write more about the San Francisco Yoga Journal Conference...I really wanted to digest the experience and begin the process of integrating that which applies to my work, path and life before "putting it all out there" on the blog. Well, that took a couple of weeks, but here's the first thing I want to "talk" about.
A major theme for the conference was "The Power of Women in Yoga". In fact, this theme was a big reason why I decided to go. It's no secret that in the U.S. most yoga practitioners are female, which is very interesting considering that the art and science of Yoga "belonged" to men for thousands of years. Arguably, many women practiced yoga in some way throughout history, but not with the same opportunity or recognition as men. Nowadays, most of the big names in western Yoga are female...and I particularly wanted to attend Saturday's panel discussion entitled "The Power of Women in Yoga". In addition to the panel, two teachers were holding women-only classes, which I was keen to check out.
A major topic for the women involved both in the panel and in the women-only classes was "authentic movement/voice". This is the idea that we have within us a potential for expression that is free from socialization, habit, and external concepts of right & wrong. In contrast, what most of us (I would argue men, as well as women, but hey - it was a "just for us gals" kind of class) put forward on a day-to-day basis is affected...it is the face we want to present, it is one sculpted by judgment, rather than free of it. The way we move, the way we speak, what we say, all of the ways we present ourselves is tangled up in various concepts of identity and definition (that which we perceive as well as that which is perceived by other people).
This is a basic philosophical tenet of Yoga - that there is the Self (that which is our essence, Spirit, Soul, Spark of the Divine, whatever terminology resonates with you) and then there is the ego (that which our mind says is "us"...it usually has a big identification with the mind and/or the body as being the extent of who and what we are). It is my understanding that what the teachers were calling "Authentic Expression" is, in essence, the expression of our Spirit. Their point seemed to be that by peeling back the layers of false-identity and socialization which women as a sex have accrued over centuries of conditioning, we can find within us the expression of our truest nature.
A lovely concept, and one that I wholeheartedly support for all people - men and women alike. What I took issue with however, was that there was a little bit of "this is what authentic movement for women looks like" and "this is how women authentically express themselves" going on. If someone else is telling you what is authentic for you, I have to question the authenticity of it! It is really no different for a bunch of women to tell women how they should express themselves than it is for a bunch of men to do the same. Either way, we end up being held to expectations of a norm that may or may not be a true expression of each woman. I believe we should be encouraged to explore our authenticity, and to manifest it and express it in all ways. I also agree that it can be helpful to see what some women's version of authentic movement or authentic voice looks/sounds like, but to attempt to emulate it is - by definition - not authentic.
The most direct way to find authentic movement is to meditate. The most effective way to find your inner voice is to meditate. You want to know who/what you really are and what your purpose in life is? Meditate! Meditation is the process of peeling back the layers of falseness and mis-identification we've created over years (or even lifetimes). There are, to be sure, numerous ways in which to meditate, shared by teachers who have learned first hand the great gifts of this practice. Emulate the method, not the result, and you will find the "real" you.
Blessings,
Kelly
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