Yoga Journal Conference, Day 2: Session 2: Inner Voices with Angela Farmer

My second session on Saturday was with Angela.  I am in love with her.

Inner Voices
Angela Farmer - Course ID: M2FARM

Saturday, January 30 — 10:30am - 12:30pm
Main Conference - Session 2
Mixed Levels

Early abuse, trauma, and injury hide deep within our cells. These lost or unloved parts of us hold the stories of our lives. We'll reveal some of the most profound aspects of yoga, exploring ways to reconnect with ourselves and our surroundings that are deeply empowering and help stabilize us during difficult situations in life.

Asana with discussion.

Angela opened with a very personal sharing.

She told us that when she suggested the title of the course to the YJ conf peeps, they got nervous.

She assured them it would be fine.

Angela shared her experience with feeling that the style of yoga she was doing was creating more armour instead of creating pathways in.  As she began to change her practice, she was still teaching the old ways.  She began to feel crazy.  And one day, during a retreat in Montana, she went outside and prayed. She heard the voice, "Stand up and Speak."

We first broke into Partnerships.

The assignment was to share openly what was sitting on our hearts.

After sharing we were asked to identify the body part that resonated with the sharing.

We were then to ask our partners to place their hands on the body part and support that area.

Angela demoed this by supporting a woman's neck and gently offering herself without trying to fix.

Angela told the Story of Innana as a way of demonstrating the technique of listening.

I took a video of Anglea showing how to support someone.  Paused around posting this cuz of the personal nature.  But very cool to watch a master relax and be of service to another.

I felt my belly while sharing.

So I had my partner place her hands on sacrum while i held sphinx to allow the belly to stretch and create weight.

This felt really good.

My partner had me hold her throat.

We played with unwinding from the shoulders.

We played with unwinding the legs.

Angela demoed her version of Downward Facing Dog, aka Snake Dog.





We played with Unzipping the Back Body.

She showed how to open and allow the energy of the back body to spread.

She showed how Namaste is the gesture of coming from behind and forward.

She spoke of how this creates a boundary and space to sit back in.

She spoke of our traumas as dents in our auras, that create voids for negative energy to be attracted to.  She suggested that we be like dented cars that go to a shop and get pushed out from within.  Let our "weak spots" be our opportunities to fill and grow.  Allow pain to be helpful.


She quickly demoed one of her signature poses, the Fallen Warrior.




Angela's work is SO SUBTLE that I am not sure that these videos communicate very well.  Perhaps they mostly remind me of what we did.  You can learn more about Angela and her partner Victor at: http://angela-victor.com/