Yoga and other Adventures by Jessica Fairlight Walden
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The practice is always there to help us remember to slow down, breath, move, listen, be gentle when we need to be, and be strong when we need to be.
These are just a compilation of images and videos, mainly yoga related, but many of them are meant to show how the practice can change and adapt as we go through all of life's events (pregnancy, childbirth, injury, age). As a long time practitioner of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and someone who had a difficult childhood, has had two kids, always worked full time, and had a major spinal injury, I can say
that practice is the one thing that has remained the anchor in my life, and it has adapted beautifully to me and me to it over the 24+ years of practice. This is a place where we can talk about anything, especially injury and other life changes that affect the practice. Since my back injury, I have had so many emails from yoga practitioners who have had similar injuries and who have been scared, confused, and disheartened. The thing is, we are not alone and the body wants to heal. So, together we can share how we have been able to keep going, modify so that we no longer feel pain or put ourselves in danger, and how we've been able to be gentle on ourselves while becoming stronger at the same time. It's exciting and we all have experiences that are inspiring and helpful to others. I am also thinking of starting a private Facebook group where we can share freely. Here's a little about me: I started a daily Ashtanga Yoga practice in 1994 while studying in Australia. Since 2001, I have made several trips to Mysore, India, to study with Guruji, Sharath and Saraswati and was granted a Teaching Authorization Certificate (Level 2) from the KPJAYI in Mysore. I have taught at at a variety of studios in the USA and Australia, including Tim Miller’s Shala and the Jois Yoga, and have assisted Sharath at KPJAYI Mysore. I was recently voted as one of the top 100 influential yoga teachers in the USA (not sure how that happened?!?!). I also teach workshops and private lessons. More than anything though, I see myself as a life-long student of this practice. Five years ago, I suffered a major spinal injury that was diagnosed as a grade 3 spondylolisthesis at L5/S1 and the loss of the disk between those two vertebras. This not only meant that I could no longer do intense backbends, but the condition often requires invasive surgery to stabilize the spine and alleviate pain. While initially this injury caused a lot of fear and pain, I used it to inform how I would practice from that day forward and never got the surgery. With an awareness of the breath, what is happening on the inside of the body and mind, and an observance of how to access the subtle energies deep within to find control, I have cultivated a gentle strength, grace and flexibility. My approach to teaching is to provide methods for students that help them to find their own control, grace, and effortlessness in the practice, and to alleviate their fears about adapting their own practice so that is right for them at each stage of life. I can't stress it enough: always listen to yourself, what is going on inside, what feels right and what does not. Listen and listen again and again. And then share your wisdom with others. :)
