Why We Chose the Name “Seek”

Yoga is a journey that guides us beyond our limited notions of self. We are so much more than we think we are and I wanted to name the yoga studio something that represented the yogic experience of reconnecting to our true selves—of looking deep inside. I kept returning to the word “seek” and knew it was right. My gut said yes.

It is easy to lose our sense of intuition and gut feeling as we so often look to those around us for advice and wisdom. While seeking support from those we trust is a positive thing to do, we often lack trust in ourselves and wish that someone could give us the answers that we already know.

I think this is partly due to our tendency to be in chronic motion—a constant state of chaos and frenzy. We don’t take the time to sit with a question and see what comes up. It’s hard to trust ourselves when we do not spend any time just being with ourselves.

A basic example of this is when we suddenly and unexpectedly feel a strong emotion. If we don’t make time to process the emotion, then it is continually buried and never heals. Because the emotion does not go away and rather lingers in our body, it might occasionally come up when we least expect it to.

This is a common experience in a yoga class, due to our body’s ability to hold emotions in certain areas. When we stretch or move these areas, it can trigger an emotional release and leave us wondering “why am I feeling this right now?” As a yoga teacher, I have often heard from students after a class that they were surprised to feel emotional in a certain pose or at a certain point in class.

As a yoga student, I have often had this happen to myself. I might be calmly resting in Suppta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose) when suddenly I feel my eyes watering up and my chest feeling heavier. Sometimes this is accompanied by a specific memory or situation, and sometimes I just feel emotion and am not immediately sure why.
If you’re curious about the process of trusting your intuition and looking within, you can practice asking yourself the following questions the next time an emotion catches you off-guard:

• What emotion am I feeling?
• Where am I feeling this in my physical body?
• Have I felt this before?
• When have I felt this before?

This can be a very intense and profound experience. Most of us have been burying strong emotions from childhood to fit in, seek approval, or simply survive tough situations. After going through these questions it is important to give yourself love and self-care.

You might begin the self-care process by taking deep, slow breaths to calm the nervous system. It can help to lay down and place one hand on the belly and one hand on the heart.

Then, just focus on the rise and fall of the belly and the chest as you breathe. Once you feel calm again, you might move on to doing something you enjoy: taking a walk, enjoying a long bath, drinking a cup of tea, etc.