When Movement Becomes Meditation

What ten nights of silence taught me about slowing down and steady practice.

Years ago, I flew to Mazunte, Mexico for my first ten nights of silence at Hridaya Yoga — no talking, no reading, no technology, no outside distractions.

Ten nights of total silence.

At first, it seemed impossible.

Could I really stay quiet for that long?

Could I unplug from my phone, my responsibilities, my constant thinking?

Could I simply be?

The retreat was simple and deeply confronting. Accommodations were humble. Meals were clean and nourishing. The days were long. Meditation was woven throughout the entire schedule — morning until night — with very little space to escape your own mind.

And early on, sitting still wasn’t peaceful.

It was a wrestling match.

My legs would go numb. My thoughts felt louder than ever. The urge to speak, to move, to distract myself was strong. Silence doesn’t immediately create serenity. Sometimes, it amplifies everything you’ve been avoiding.

But over time, something unexpected happened.

Yes, sitting meditation deepened.

But what surprised me most was not what happened on the cushion.

It was what happened in the yoga practice.

At Hridaya, the postures were not rushed. They were entered slowly and held steadily. There was no performance, no choreography, no striving to “achieve” a shape. Instead, there was space — space to feel breath, sensation, resistance, softening.

And in those long-held postures, I went deeper into meditation than I had when I was trying to meditate.

Movement became meditation.

Not because I forced stillness —but because the body slowed the mind naturally.

When you enter a posture gradually and stay present long enough, the nervous system begins to regulate on its own. The breath deepens. The mind softens. Awareness expands.

I began noticing things I had never fully felt before:

The subtle shape of my breath.

Where I was gripping unnecessarily.

How thoughts rise and dissolve.

How tension softens when you stop fighting it.

The depth I had been seeking through effort appeared through steadiness.

From Retreat to Real-Life Practice

When I returned home from those ten nights of silence, I carried something unexpected with me.

It wasn’t just the ability to sit longer.

It was the understanding that posture itself can become meditation.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali describe posture as steady and comfortable — firm, yet easeful. It is achieved when effort softens, when striving dissolves, and awareness expands beyond the fluctuations of the mind. From that place, the yogi is no longer disturbed by dualities.

In simple terms:

When you stop forcing…

When the body feels supported…

When effort becomes intelligent instead of aggressive…

Something opens.

You are no longer caught in the constant push and pull — strong versus weak, flexible versus stiff, success versus failure.

You simply are.

That insight became the foundation of how I teach today.

In my Slow / Mindful Movement class, we don’t rush into shapes.

We enter gradually.

We support the body with props.

We hold long enough for the breath to settle and awareness to deepen.

We are not here to prove anything.

We are here to improve — steadily, intelligently, compassionately.

Slow does not mean weak.

Slow means aware.

When effort becomes steady and supported, meditation begins to emerge naturally. You don’t force it. You create the conditions for it.

That is Yoga Meets U.

Yoga that meets you exactly where you are — physically, mentally, emotionally — and invites you inward from there.

Maybe you’ve tried meditation before and found sitting still difficult.

Maybe fast yoga classes have felt overwhelming.

Maybe you’ve told yourself you’re not flexible enough, strong enough, or experienced enough.

This practice is different.

It is strength without strain.

Stillness without pressure.

Depth without performance.

It is a safe place to begin.

And a meaningful place to grow.

Yoga Meets U — exactly where you are.

Have you ever wondered what happens when you finally slow down?

When you actually feel your body and your breath…when you stop chasing and start being?

Join me for Slow / Mindful Movement — where movement becomes meditation and yoga meets you exactly where you are.

Yoga Meets U — exactly where you are:

✨ Mondays 🕒 9:30 AM

📍Grateful Hearts Yoga - Crestview

✨ Thursdays 🕒 6 PM

📍The Yoga Garden Collective - Freeport

For more info, events, and the current schedule visit: www.YogaMeetsU.com/event