http://www.yogajournal.com/article/balance/intervi...

Matthew Sanford, an Amercian yoga teacher who was involved in a car accident at the age of thirteen becoming paralysed from the chest down, was at Tri Yoga in London over the weekend. Nicole, one of our staff members, went along to his embodiment workshop on Friday evening.

Matthew began the two-hour asana workshop by reading the Introduction from his upcoming book, which is yet to be given a release date and a title. The room sat in absolute silence and captivation, with many tears rolling unabashed from attendees’ eyes. Matthew’s book Introduction speaks to the fact that despite each of our journeys in this life being unique and individual, they are in so many ways the very same story; ‘your story is my story’ he movingly shared. After speaking about his experience of connecting with the silence within his own body following his accident as a teenager, he went on to share how each and every one of us can both connect to and embrace this silence, this seeming void within us. Indeed, within the void, in so many ways, the truth of our existence lies.

The asana part of the workshop was fully focused on promoting and engendering a deep sense of embodiment. Matthew explained that each asana holds a rise and a fall with it, a holding onto and a letting go, a grasping and a surrender. In the gap between these seeming dichotomies, the essence of what it is to be a human being lies. He also explained that each asana holds a loss within it, and that it is from loss in life in general that our minds learn the most. The individual and partner-based asanas were completely focused on sensing the subtle body, whilst Matthew explained his ability to feel the prana in his spine and legs despite having no measurable physiological sensation within them.

There is so much more that could be said about this beautiful workshop, but perhaps it is better to absorb these few key points for now. It was a hugely profound experience to be there and we lovingly recommend that you go along to one of Matthew’s workshops when he is next in town. Namaste.