At Home in the World

Claudia Cummins

Movement and stillness practices for vitality and ease, with Claudia Cummins. Learn more at www.ClaudiaCummins.com. claudiacummins.substack.com

  1. 6d ago

    Letting Go into the Moment

    Amid the busy-ness of life, we all need reminders to give ourselves a break from the world’s frantic pace, so that we can give our minds and our bodies a chance to return to the healing balm of the present moment. In this 10-minute guided relaxation, we’ll take a beautiful time out. Just settle into a comfortable position, exhale deeply and let everything go. Let the world spin off as it likes, as you practice self calm and self care. Whether meditating on a cushion, practicing savasana at the end of a yoga session, or settling into a cozy chair, a few moments of peace and calm can help us return to our more balanced and steady selves. And when we grow quieter within, we are able to see more clearly the truths of our lives. And that, in turn, allows us to act from a place of deep love, on behalf of both ourselves and the wider world. Get full access to At Home in the World at claudiacummins.substack.com/subscribe

    Letting Go into the Moment

  2. Jul 4

    Moving Like Water

    How would it feel to move like water? What sharp edges of our beings might soften if we allowed ourselves to shift and slip and swirl in soft and liquid ways? What might loosen, what might fall away, and what might emerge out of such a way of being in the world? My hunch is that our bodies and our minds might grow softer, easier, freer. In this 25-minute guided practice, we’ll stay close to the ground and invite the body to unravel and stretch in gentle, fluid ways. We’ll let this liquid movement erode our harsher edges, leaving us softer and calmer. And perhaps we’ll re-emerge feeling restored and rinsed clean. Water yields instead of fights. Water shape-shifts in ways that accommodate boundaries and barriers. Water ebbs and flows without resistance or complaint. Water responds to the world around it, never insisting that life be anything other than what it is. Its fluidity allows it to accommodate the truth of each moment. And its yielding nature is a source of deep strength. What a good teacher and a good friend! Get full access to At Home in the World at claudiacummins.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Jun 27

    The Garden Within

    We spend so much of our lives looking outward to the world around us. Every once in a while it can be such a relief to turn our gaze inward instead for a little while. Closing the eyes and refocusing within can help us quiet the nervous system, recharge our batteries, and return us to what matters most in our lives. In this 12-minute practice, we’ll consider the lovely possibility that we have a garden within where we can rest and savor the moment. We’ll call upon our powers of imagination and imagery to create a quiet oasis inside of us. Consider this a meditation, perhaps, or an opportunity to practice deep rest. Sit upright if you like, or rest back in any comfortable position. You might even be able to do this while strolling through your favorite garden. Feel free to toss out any of the words or images that don’t ring true to you. And, of course, head off onto your own inner journey any time you like. Get full access to At Home in the World at claudiacummins.substack.com/subscribe

    The Garden Within

  4. Jun 20

    Nourishing Yin

    The sages of ancient China envisioned a world comprised of two complementary and interconnected types of energy. Yang energy is bright and uplifting, while yin energy is cool and steady. Yang sometimes is described as the sunny side of the mountain where the light shines brightly, while yin is offered as the shady side of the mountain where the air is moist and cool. In our culture we are often primed to embrace the bold energy of yang, while perhaps steering clear of yin’s darkness and depth. But the ancient sages taught us that yin and yang can’t exist without each other. We need to nurture both, they taught, in order for our lives to flow with true vitality and health. Everyone needs this healthy balance of yin and yang in their lives. It is said that women in particular - and especially women as we age - need to nurture strong reserves of quiet, cool, nurturing energy in our lives. This 28-minute movement practice, done in a reclined position close to the ground (or perhaps nestled in bed), offers a taste of the quiet and restorative energy of yin. The movements are slow and gentle and almost liquid in quality. The emphasis is on yielding and harmonizing, with no feeling of aggression or ambition or heat. Yin isn’t weak or static, but rather flows like the current of a river deep beneath the surface - with quiet strength and steady purpose. In the heat of summer, this watery coolness can feel especially delicious. We enjoy the brilliance of the light blooming all about us, even as we savor the cool, quiet moments that quench our thirst as we rest in the shade. Get full access to At Home in the World at claudiacummins.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Jun 13

    Three Pillars of Happiness

    Even the Dalai Lama agrees that the purpose of life is to be happy. But what exactly does that mean? What constitutes happiness and how do we find our way there? Does happiness come from savoring a fresh raspberry as it bursts on the tongue? Does it come from a sense of mission in one’s broader life? Or does it come from sensing a deep and radiant connection between our small self and the vast Self of the world? Yes, yes and yes! In this 19-minute practice, we’ll explore three important pillars of happiness: pleasure, purpose and peace. This is a restful and meditative practice that could be explored sitting upright or perhaps tucked in a cozy chair with a cup of tea. Spending time contemplating the experiences and relationships that bring us alive can incline our minds toward a deeply embodied sense of happiness and wellbeing. This sort of contemplation can also cultivate clarity about aspects of our lives that might need a little tending and care. My hope is that returning to this practice from time to time might shine new light on the pillars of happiness in your own life. Get full access to At Home in the World at claudiacummins.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Jun 6

    At Home in Earth and Sky

    Settling onto the earth marks the beginning of our connection to the wider world. Gravity binds us to the ground and invites us to release, to root, to relate. Through this, we sense an expanse of life beyond the narrow confines of our small bodies. We sense denseness, solidity, steadiness. We come to know the deep power of the world below. And once our bodies become good friends with the earth - feeling held, swaddled, weighty and solid - we open our eyes to the sky above. The sky fills us with possibility, with lightness, with a yearning to reach out and up and beyond. The sky beckons us toward adventure into the world of action and connection. We reach, we expand, we explore. Between these two primary elements - earth and sky - our lives flow. We come into relationship with gravity and with levity both. We enter into a joyful and lifelong conversation between the rock-solid steadiness of ground beneath and the transcendent freedom of the space above. In this 22-minute practice, we hand ourselves over to the earth, softening and settling downward. And then we rise up and out into the spacious freedom of the sky. We breathe and move in gentle and organic forms, exploring the way we serve as a living bridge between what lies beneath and what soars above. Earth. Sky. Down. Up. Inner. Outer. Through our explorations we cultivate an ever deepening sense of wholeness, including all of life into the sphere of experience. And wholeness, of course, is what allows us to finally feel at home in the world, in this breath, right here and right now. Get full access to At Home in the World at claudiacummins.substack.com/subscribe

  7. May 30

    Buzzing Like a Bee

    Most spiritual traditions include vocalization as a ritual that bridges head and heart, inner and outer, self and other. We sing, we chant, we recite sacred texts. We do this in bright happiness and also in deep grief. Waves of sound pour out of us as expression, as benediction, as prayer. This 18-minute session explores one of the simplest vocalization strategies: humming. The ancient yogis found humming so powerful that they elevated it to a formal practice called bhramari breath, or buzzing bee breath. The instructions are simple: Soften your body, close your mouth and hum as you exhale. The practice is easy, portable and deeply steadying. It can be considered a breathing practice, a meditation practice, and even a movement practice as we explore the subtle sound vibrations rippling through the body. In just a few moments of focused practice, bhramari breath has the power to calm the mind, soothe the spirit, and offer a gentle buzz of uplift and delight. Get full access to At Home in the World at claudiacummins.substack.com/subscribe

    Buzzing Like a Bee

  8. May 23

    Not Too Tight, Not Too Loose

    The modern world loves extremes, but age-old wisdom points us toward the middle way. The excitement of heading to the far edge of the world can wake us up, for sure. But, oh, what a relief it is to let go of the need to be on fire in order to feel alive. There is nothing quite like the sweet relief of coming home to ease and balance, to the discovery that not much needs to happen in order for us to feel happy, right here and right now. In between too tight and too loose we warm to the possibility that we already have everything we need. We notice that we don’t have to travel far from home in order to feel content. We consider the possibility that less is sometimes more. And blessedly, our expectations of ourselves and the world begin to soften just a bit. Sometimes we even embrace the possibility that good enough might just be enough. This 35-minute movement sequence embodies the possibility that we don’t have to travel to extremes in order to cultivate balance and wellbeing. Lying on our backs, close to the ground, we commit to soft, easy, pain-free movement. We relinquish some long-held beliefs and welcome some new ones. We let go of the “no pain, no gain” mentality. We cultivate flexibility of mind and heart. And when this happens, we settle toward a state of of profound peace and ease, at home in the very middle of our lives. Get full access to At Home in the World at claudiacummins.substack.com/subscribe

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About

Movement and stillness practices for vitality and ease, with Claudia Cummins. Learn more at www.ClaudiaCummins.com. claudiacummins.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Claudia Cummins
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Claudia Cummins
  • Show Website
    At Home in the World