October: Space. Letting go of what I no longer need to hold

In September, with earth, we looked for support. In October we build on it and explore what happens when, thanks to that support and grounding, I no longer need to hold on by force.

In traditional Chinese medicine, autumn belongs to the metal element, and with it the lungs and the large intestine. The inhale receives, the exhale lets go. Metal is also about boundaries, and about choosing what to keep and what to let go of.

So this month we work mainly with breath and recovery. Earth stays as solid ground underneath. Support makes space.

On the mat we’ll focus on the exhale and the mobility of the chest and ribs, on moving between effort and release, and on how much muscular effort a pose really needs. What can I let go of without losing the structure of the pose?

Off the mat, it’s a finer distinction: what is useful to hold right now, and what is just a habit I can leave behind.

Five October classes

Week 1: Support that lets me soften. We start with the feet, the pelvis and contact with the ground. Then we notice where the body still holds more than it needs to: in the shoulders, the jaw, the hands or the belly. The question for the whole class: what can I let go of without losing support?

Week 2: Space for the breath. Chest, ribs, spine and shoulder blades. A deeper breath isn’t the aim here. We want to create conditions in which the breath can change on its own. In one pose we’ll change how the chest and shoulders are organised and watch what the breath does when we leave it alone. This carries on from September: after a small movement the body reorganised itself, and the breath calmed and deepened on its own.

Week 3: Exhale and letting go. This is where we lean most on the metal element. A longer but unforced exhale, twists, forward folds and moving with the exhale. We’ll explore the difference between actively relaxing and simply stopping doing something. The question for this class: do I need to do something to soften, or is it enough to stop holding?

Week 4: Boundaries and space. Metal is also about boundaries. The body often makes a boundary out of tension: it draws the shoulders in and braces the belly, as if defending itself. But we can find a boundary another way, through our own axis and a sense of the space around us. Then a pose can have a clear structure and still have space in it. Stability doesn’t mean rigidity. And a clear boundary doesn’t need defensive tension.

Week 5: Support and lightness. To close the month, we bring it all together. Support isn’t the opposite of lightness. The clearer the support, the less the rest of the body has to hold. Feet and pelvis, space for the breath, a long exhale and our own axis come together in one flowing practice, and we notice where the body holds less than it did at the start of the month. The question for this class: how much support do I need before I can let go?

Every Thursday at 18:30 (Czech time) there is a live online class in Yoga Space, taught in Czech for now. Access is by invitation: write to me and I will set you up.