Innocent Eyes and a Big Heart

Innocent Eyes and a Big Heart
Yoga with Sarah Powers and Max Strom

In the fall of 2009 Yoga Moves hosted two world class teachers: Sarah Powers in September and Max Strom two weeks later. Together they were responsible for a total of 9 workshops, filled with eager students from all over the country and beyond (including Belgium and Sweden).

Sarah and Max are teachers of yoga who integrate teachings of the other great traditions of east and west as well. Sarah embodies in particular the teachings of buddhist meditation, western psychology and chinese medicine. Max's knowledge and experience includes the teachings of chi gong, modern science and sufism.

The one thing that stands out in their teachings is: simplicity. Humans have a tendency to make things more complex. In yoga we want to reverse this habit: to make things more simple again. So the techniques they offer are so simple that you start to question: can this work? The point is that simple does not mean easy.

Max Strom's Ocean Breath technique, for instance, is simple. Doing the excercise once in while is easy. To do it 3 times a day, 7 days in a row is less easy. Doing this consistently for a period of two years is not easy at all. The same for Sarah's meditation techniques. Just observing your own breath, what could be simpler than that? After doing it for 10 minutes you know: not easy! But as both teachers stress: it is only a consistent practice that brings the results of yoga.

Do not be tricked by simplicity
the ancient teachings still hold
it is not to add complexity
that's the hardest part of all.

What are these results? In the yoga philosophical tradition the results are usually described in arcane terms as enlightment and liberation. Concepts which are difficult to understand, at least for most of us. Sarah and Max provide a clear sight: when we do yoga we heal ourselves. Instead of being a prisoner of our habits we begin to behave out of our own authenticity again. As fresh as when we were kids, but now in a conscious way.

In the western world the main source for eternal life, eternal knowledge and eternal bliss is considered: the intellect. Most of the times people follow their head. Especially in the big cities of the world: New York, London, etc. This leads to a lot of stress and anxiety. People are cut off from the rest of their bodies. It is interesting to see how Sarah and Max complement each other here: While Max teaches people how to reconnect with their hearts, Sarah's teachings lead the way for people to re-establisch the connection with their center.

The heart of Max Strom's vinyasa yoga is the triad: intention, breath and movement. In this order. People have to first become clear about what they intend. Not any intention but their highest intentions. Then with a deep breathing practice they can calm their nervous systems. And from there people can start to change old negative habits into new positiver ones. Yoga is nothing less than a practice of transformation.

Sarah's teachings are designed to integrate and re-establish the balance in body, mind and spirit: yin with yang, feminine with masculine, receptivity with activity. Meditation and yin poses constitute the receptive part of a Sarah Powers' class. To complete the practice these are accompanied with more vigorous vinyasa-based sequences. Above all the centre of Sarah Power's yoga is: curiosity. To be curious about each and every aspect of our lives, the dark and the bright sides.

If I had only two words
to describe the practice
of yoga my instructions
would be: stay curious.

If there were more words
to spend I would add: be
beautiful my friend - let
your bright lights shine.

For you are making your way
down meeting the demons of old.
But how would you tell dark from
dark if not for the sun above.

Both Max and Sarah are fascinated by the bikes of Utrecht. Max, Hiske and Rogier did a small biking tour along the city's lanes, parks and canals. During the ride Max wonders about the lack of protection: no helmets, no hats. "It is dutch culture" Hiske responds. "It starts at high school. Some days 90% of the students sits in class completely soaked and wet, bravely enduring the consequences of being cool: never to wear a rain suit ever."

"I cannot find my bike." It is the end of a beautifully sunlit evening. Rogier and Sarah are standing outside in the Biltstraat. Long lines of bicycle riders are passing by, people off from work, on their way home. "Ah, there it is" Sarah continues. "There are so many of them." She is right. There are many, many bikes in Utrecht and many, many bikers as well, and we have seen them many, many times, but how many of us have ever felt the connection between all those people on their bikes, all doing the same thing: cycling home. "It is unique!" Sarah says while she hops on her bike. It takes innocent eyes to see the beauty in everyday life.

Sarah and Max treasure the relationship with their students. They will be back again in 2010. After all yoga is a practice of relationship and intimacy: being intimate with our own lives and with the lives of those around us. Rogier tells Sarah that his first yoga students were his parents. Sarah adds that her husband was her first yoga student. "It is crucial" she stresses. "Since we change through yoga, our direct environment changes as well. We have an obligation to teach, support and take care of the ones that are dear to us. This is what the world needs now the most."