My interests have always been in matters of the heart—and I've done a lot based on how my heart feels. After years of leaning away from being overly-cognitive, I've developed a solid trust in heart-intelligence. Everything I've ever done from this astute feelings-place has magically, harmoniously, worked out in a much more beautifully orchestrated way than my physical brain could ever construct. So I trust it.
My love story with Yoga is the connection I have with my heart. When I practice flow, when I experience the magnificent mechanics of the body. I am in awe of the system that supports me. The way my blood circulates. The way my lungs breathe. The way I digest food. Without ever having to try. I allow my practice to support me in letting go. In trusting myself. In being humble and brave.
When I sit or stand or walk, I remember to appreciate every step. I don't let a moment pass by without noticing it. I'm a lover of comfort, adventure, and laughter. I don't think that time passes too quickly or slowly. I find this by always noticing the details of the present moment. I notice the texture of my clothes. The power of my breath. I notice the beat in my heart, my personal metronome.
Writing is one of my greatest loves. As I learn to express myself, it is always there to colour in the lines of my thoughts. To bring body and character to things we'll never be able to hold.
I choose happiness. In one of my favourite books, the author writes, "Fear is the mind-killer." Whenever I find my thoughts being seduced by fear, I aim to let it go and choose love. I'm thrilled about breaking down the false interpretations of fear-based thoughts, and discovering magic in the most unassuming places. For me, happiness is home; home is love. It's more simple than we care to admit. And recognising it's simplicity, letting it Be There, even when the ego is holding on to past hurts and future fears—it's such a relief. Because love is the reason for everything. It's the foundation of us all.
I'm grateful for every day. Of course, it can slip. You can almost forget that existing is a miracle. Fortunately peace and stillness are always there. And it's not in a Yoga class, or an ashram, or on a mountain top. It's here now. Strung along each breath. You just have to stop and see it.
I'm in love with this experience. I have come to the conclusion that, after all the meditation, after coming to a zero point, after letting go of things I was never holding onto in the first place, I think that we're all here to create. To laugh. Above all, to love.
This is what Yoga is for me. It's appreciating my body. It's the art of showing gratitude for my existence. It's the magic in those curious geometrical shapes. It's the dance of a thousand suns. Yoga is creation and expression. It's the everything in nothing. Yoga is an expression of love.
Rachelle Hicks is a yoga teacher and writer based in Dublin, Ireland. She runs weekly classes and hosts workshops in a handful of Dublin's studios. She'll be hosting a chakra tuning workshop in March and will be involved in an Easter urban retreat in April with YogaHub. Also in April, she will receive her qualification to be a Feng Shui consultant. She loves cleaning, which is why Feng Shui and Dr. Hew Len's Ho'oponopono cleaning meditation are some of her favourite things to practice. Among her weekly classes, she teaches private and group yoga to young adults with Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and social anxiety. More information here.
Rachelle's past articles for Supersoul here.
Retreat
