The measure of your practice is not how physically strong you become, but how stable you become off the mat. This expression illuminates many of the ways my definition of “strength” has changed over the years. Maybe, like me, you once believed that strength was determined by the number of Chaturangas you could do, arm balances you could hold, or strong power yoga classes you could move through. Today, having navigated personal loss and gain, many more years of deep meditation practice, and countless significant life experiences, it is clearer to me than ever that “strength” transcends the physical form.

I see strength in those who move slowly.

I see strength in those who listen more than they speak.

I see strength in the ways people move through transitions and the inevitable unexpected challenges of life with grace, steadiness, trust and ease.

Trilogy of Strength, my new 3-class series, is a journey to holistic empowerment of your body, mind, and spirit helping to elucidate the many facets through which you experience strength.

Class one, “Strength of Body,” empowers your physical form, tapping into the elements of earth and fire, as you strengthen your body, build stamina, and ignite confidence. While this power yoga practice will be physically demanding, the goal is not to tone your body, burn the most calories, or change you in any physical way. Instead, the intention is to use your body as a catalyst for steadiness, full presence, and an enduring living practice.

Inspired by the elements of water and air, practice two, “Strength of Mind,” takes you on a fluid, creative, non-linear vinyasa adventure instilling pliability, adaptability and flexibility of not just body but also mind as you learn to accept uncertainty and embrace the unknown. The older we get, the more we know, and research shows as a result, the less we see as we become limited by our own perceived base of knowledge. Your brain is embodied. It is not just located in your head. The weaving of your nervous system throughout your physical body is the weaving of your brain throughout your soma. The theme of this practice is to challenge your perceived ways of knowing and designed to draw you out of your usual habits of practice and into the realms of freedom and possibility.

The series culminates with the element of ether in a practice called “Strength of Spirit,” which combines gentle yoga, yin yoga, breath work, and meditation as you finalize the Trilogy of Strength at the level of your spirit. This final class is a practice of integration. When integration is blocked there is chaos and rigidity. As you learn to stretch into the gentle part of you that is motivated by love, you will integrate on all levels, remembering once again that your body knows how to help you through hard moments. In this place, you are invited to breathe deep into the tight corners of your being while remembering that even though there is an unpreventable closing in your body and in your life, you can learn to re-open again.

My greatest hope is that this series taps you into your expansive strength and sheds light on your reserves. You are stronger than you know and while this series will challenge you, the ways it challenges you might surprise you.

Make sure to check our Lauren’s new series “Trilogy of Strength” streaming exclusively on InnerDimensionTV.com!

By Lauren