“I bend so I don’t break”, Anonymous.

Tomorrow is my ninth wedding Anniversary. This week, a friend sent me a sweet message to wish me a happy Willow Anniversary for the occasion! Who knew? What better inspiration for a movement practice which marries strength and flexibility and the elusive search to find a balance between the two.

As ever, we can learn a lot from trees and nature. The flexible branches of a willow tree can withhold strong winds to which more rigid oaks can succumb. But it will fall just the same without a strong root structure to nourish and stabilise.

People often think yoga is all about getting flexible or, more erroneously, being flexible already. Of course, it’s great to increase suppleness and elasticity in the body, especially as we stiffen up with age and inactivity. But we also need to recognise the need for stability and strength - I would suggest, as the bedrock of reaching that oft-desired flexibility. Calling on a bit of both will do very nicely.

Even more interesting is exploring the places and spaces we individually choose to stand firm and where we choose to follow the wind and bend.