Radical Softness in Practice: My Yoga Teaching Intention

Love's what you deserve!!!

Jul 01, 2025

If softness were a place, it would be a humble little white cottage in Galway, with windows that let the light stream in and gently kiss your face to awaken you in the mornings. Softness’s yard has long, soft green grass, often wet, that curls in the gentle wind. It is the short stone rock fence, lazily lying on each other like sisters. The air smells the way it does when the ocean is nearby; fresh and full of life.

Yoga

I teach candle light slow flows at 9pm every Wednesday & Thursday at Black Swan Yoga, Orchard location.

My intention when creating my current yoga sequence was to create a slower vinyasa flow that builds up to a peak, moves through some energy, and then begins to wind down to calm the nervous system to prepare for a good night’s rest. I wanted to foster the concept of radical softness: embracing your present self without any judgment. In a world filled with hustle culture, and fast paced content and lifestyles, I want to remind us that there is power in softness. There is strength in listening to your self, to your body. There is something sacred in moving slowly.

Wednesday evenings, 9pm - Candle light slow flow - Black Swan Yoga (Orchard location) - DM me for a guest pass

Thursday evenings, 9pm - Candle light slow flow - Black Swan Yoga (Orchard Location) - DM me for a guest pass

Softness as a daily practice

Creating “mirco-moments” of safety- you don’t have to wait until a special occasion, or a vacation, to relax.

Light a candle while reading a book before bed.

Romanticize your nighttime routine. I like to wear vintage white nightgowns I’ve thrifted, drink tea, burn palo santo and read a book by candle light. Basically I like pretending I’m Emily Dickinson.

Repitition = nervous system repair

Intentions & journal prompts

My intention for this new moon is aparigraha, which is a Sanskrit term meaning non-attachment. Although I am a very eco-conscious person, I still struggle with a scarcity mindset, and sometimes I go into a thrift store, a grocery store, or a plant shop, and end up buying way more than I need. I am working on cleaning out some of my items and clothes, because I have come to the realization that clutter and having lots of things overstimulates me. I am still a maximalist, don’t get me wrong, but I am striving to become an intentional maximalist.

To work towards this goal, I avoid going into stores unless I need something. If I am in a thrift store, I have a list of what I want to find (Ex. a pair of jean shorts, a white tank) and only allow myself to go in those sections instead of scouring the entire store for an hour. I am getting rid of items that no longer serve me by donating to charity shops, giving things away on a Facebook No Buy group, and bringing things to the Austin Recycle and Reuse center when they are not able to be gifted or donated.

Radical Softness Prompts:

Softness as a Daily Practice: Describe what it would look like to live each day with radical softness. What habits, rituals, or ways of seeing would change?

Radical Softness and Emotional Labor: What’s the boundary between practicing softness and being exploited for it? How can we honor softness while protecting it?

A Love Letter to Softness: Write a poetic or lyrical love letter to the parts of yourself or others that are soft, tender, or unguarded. What do you want to honor?

Aparigraha prompts:

What am I currently holding onto—physically, emotionally, or mentally—that no longer serves me?

How do I differentiate between what I need and what I desire out of habit or insecurity?

What purchases or habits feel like grasping or overconsumption?

Can I recall a time when simplifying my life brought me a sense of peace?

Who am I without my titles, accomplishments, or belongings?

What stories am I telling myself about what I must have in order to be happy or fulfilled?

What would it feel like to trust the flow of life more fully?

Books

I have found that having 3 different current reads works really well for me. I have it down to a science. See, sometimes I am not in the mood to read non-fiction, and would rather have a “for-fun” page turner distraction. Other days I am so busy with errands and chores that I want an audiobook to listen to so I can get some reading in, but still be productive. I now keep at least 3 current reads handy at all times: 1 learning/self-help/nonfiction, 1 fiction/for fun, and 1 audiobook.

Current learning read: It’s Okay to be Angry About Capitalism by Bernie Sanders