Inner Light Outer Peace Yoga Blog

Last week Elysa and I attended a workshop, Hip Openers: The Gateway To Freedom, led by Carolyn Fahey, R.N., R.Y.T., H.H.C.

Carolyn told us she has been studying Anusara for many years and teaches Anusara inspired classes and workshops. She also assists Todd Norian in Teacher Trainings and other programs.

I had heard quite a lot about Carolyn’s gentle nature. It was all true. She was delightful!

I already felt extremely at ease as the workshop began with the usual introductions and information that can keep a students mind from wandering off to thoughts of ‘what if I need a restroom or a drink of water?’. Some people have a gift of exuding comfort vibes into a room. Carolyn has this gift. She told us a little about herself and introduced her very compliant friend and anatomy prop, Mr. Skeleton.

The pelvic bowl is the location of the second chakra and is associated with creative energy. Having open hips allows creative energy to flow and is a gateway to freedom. We were about to put those statements to the test.

Asana practice began with a series of lunge variations, downward facing dog and forward bends. The warriors and triangles followed nicely before we moved into some hip opening balances. I have brought some of those balances to my own students this week, trying to keep in mind Carolyn’s quip, “A Yogi does incredibly challenging things and makes it appear easy.” I remind myself that ‘I teach what I need to learn’. My students must feel blessed as I continue this week to have them stand on one leg while cradling the foot-to-knee of the other in their arms like a baby, hugging it toward their heart center without toppling over.

We flowed back to the mat for seated postures, twists, pigeon with several interesting variations. I most enjoyed the hand to opposite foot prayer in reclined pigeon. Applying gentle pressure to the foot is what really opened me up that day. It was in that posture that I had a moment to pause and savor the gateway to freedom the hips provide. It was even accompanied by a burst of bubbly sensation rising up from inside my pelvis up to the rib cage. Joy!

After my delightful opening, Carolyn gracefully and safely led us into lotus pose, followed by Shavasana with Todd Norian’s, Bija just barely audible in the background. It happens to be one of my favorites and I easily melted into a blissful restoration.

In classic Anusara style, we paired off for an exercise of gazing into your parnters eyes and quietly sharing with them any thing that came up and you desired to express. Elysa and I had a beautiful moment to connect and bond as teachers, students and friends. Class concluded with a sharing circle where we were invited to express or share with the group. It was a simple and quiet sharing as most of us were still wallowing in our own private bliss states but even a quiet sharing circle is assistive in bringing us out of the deeply internal before re-entering our busy external routines.

I loved Carolyn Fahey’s workshop and I feel gifted to have studied with her. You can find her at Yoga4Everbody in Fairfield, CT. It is a beautiful studio with plenty of sunlight, good energy and really nice people.

Check out their website here.