lung qi and the voice

every sound you make is a vibration. every vibration has the capacity to shake something loose, to move something through, to reveal something that was previously locked away. making noise is a form of release. a way to take out the trash and energetically get out something that no longer needs to be inside of you. no longer needs to be a part of you. keeping your emotions tidily tucked inside will, overtime, make you sick. causing literal or emotional constipation and discomfort. expression is form of self care. letting your emotions flow is like cleaning your house. your tears mop the floor. your scream knocks the dust off the fan. your sigh opens the window. your temper tantrum wipes the baseboards. your groan cleans the toilet.

Elizabeth ScollanOctober 1, 2024winter, seasons

Welcoming Shiva

I received a message about a month ago from Jessica Knott- a fellow yoga teacher and veteran of a community most of the teachers at Soulage (including myself) hail from. She explained that upon the closing of our beloved yoga home, she had received the honor of giving a new home to the Shiva statue which had remained on the altar of the “Fire studio” for many many years.

Elizabeth ScollanJuly 17, 2024winter, seasons

An Experiment in Presence OR A Call to a Whole Lotta Nothing

Summertime. When you were young. What do you remember?

I remember riding in the bed of a pickup, two hours to a lake, and my hair was so tangled I had to use peanut butter to get the knots out. And as soon as we got to the lake I jumped right in, watermelon slice in hand and juice all down my neck. I remember the smell of old, moldy grass under the plastic baby pool because we left it in the same spot a few days too many. I remember yelling into a box fan in our living room. I remember a lot of idle time, just doing a whole lot of nothing.

Elizabeth ScollanJuly 3, 2024winter, seasons

there is no rush

there is no rush to finish, no rush to figure it all out. self-imposed, or even societally-imposed, timelines often cause unnecessary suffering. suffering because we did not meet an expectation or life did not meet our expectations. an expectation we ultimately placed upon our own shoulders. often leading to frustration, disappointment, dissatisfaction, sadness, temporary insanity, you name it.

Elizabeth ScollanDecember 16, 2023winter, seasons

It's a Practice

In yoga, is it just that much harder to share the inner workings of the mind than it is to stumble in half moon?

All I know is that it’s a practice. I hear that a lot, and I say that a lot, and Patanjali tells us in the Yoga Sutras that we must practice, but it’s not always so simple to internalize. That’s okay, I remind myself. It doesn’t have to be simple. It’s a practice.

Elizabeth ScollanJune 4, 2023winter, seasons

April!

My parents were firm believers in trying new things. If the meal entailed something outside of our young pallets, we, at least, had to partake in a bite of the new offering before concluding that it was not for us. I had pretty adventurous tastebuds but asparagus was amongst the few foods that I could not find a place on my plate to enjoy.

Elizabeth ScollanApril 16, 2023winter, seasons

the seeds of winter

a curtain is being lifted, the curtain of winter. the curtain of closed eyelids. slowly spring awakens. within us and around us. more daylight, more warmth. slowly, and then more quickly. the buzzing underneath the surface is intensifying. potential is potentiating.within us and around us. of all the seeds scattered, some are taking root in the soil of your being. some of your dreams are demanding to become reality. when the time is right, they will push up and out of you. they will find a way. they will sprout.

Elizabeth ScollanApril 9, 2020winter, seasons

BLOG