Move
by Ann Fancy, Citizen Yoga Teacher
One of my parenting mantras has become: movement for mental health.
This lesson took me a while to fully embody. For so long, movement was outcome-focused. I wanted to control my body, and I stepped into yoga thinking it might be a way to achieve that goal. What I found, instead, was that asana was medicinal. It immediately became the most reliable salve for my anxiety and depression. The bonus? Over time, I began to find greater harmony with—and appreciation for—my body.
Sun A and Sun B will always be my favorite part of asana. When I get to the mat, what I love most is the permission to simply breathe and move. It’s the ritual and simplicity of predictable movement that help me settle in, burn off some of the noise, and shake off my tendency to get too stagnant, especially energetically.
Vinyasa-style movement—one breath, one movement, with the opportunity to dance at my physical edge—has gifted me agency, trust, and autonomy. It’s given me back a relationship of trust within myself: the sense that I can handle the temporary discomforts of being human. It reminds me that everything comes and goes in waves, and I’m so much stronger and more capable than I first believed. As an anxious child, I grew fearful and avoidant of those edges. Now, I crave them. The edge reminds me of who I am—and calls me back to my own wise, rooted self.
As a teacher, I often hear people justify or defend the style of yoga they prefer, or imply that they hope to one day “achieve” the ability to practice a certain way. Maybe one more place we can trust ourselves is in knowing this practice is not hierarchical. We all get to find our way to move in ways that feel most valuable to our whole being—one day at a time.
I unapologetically love a classic Vinyasa. I have yet to grow tired of it, and I know that, so far, it’s the most medicinal practice for me.
Keep moving—however feels most inspiring to you. Trust yourself. And however you decide to move, let it be led by love. Your mind may just receive the greatest benefit or gift.
THEMED CLASS: Join Ann in Royal Oak for an Old School Vinyasa at 9:45am.
