The Great Yes: Postures of Focus & The Fire Horse
- Dirk Bräuninger
- Feb 24
- 4 min read
Our February Open Movalogue gathering spanned the globe with a vibrant energy, connecting the quiet winter of Europe and North America with the festive "Fire Horse" energy of Chinese New Year in Asia. From the sounds of Carnival in the background to the stillness of the New Moon, we explored what it means to find focus amidst the "stuckness" of daily life and the distractions of the world.
Key Insights: Shedding Skins & Simplicity During our check-in, a strong theme of transition emerged. Participants spoke of "shedding old skins" and experiencing "rebirth," while others navigated the space of "letting go" as children leave the nest. We touched on the tension between the "stuckness" of administrative tasks and the "tapestry" of regeneration.
Yet, amidst these complexities, we found a profound anchor in simplicity. A Participant shared a beautiful sentiment about dropping the "dual savior" and simply arriving in the body with a feeling of: "Hey... just hey." This resonance of "less is more" set the stage for our practice.
The Practice: Postures of Presence and Focus One of the participants then guided the group through a sequence of bodily postures, exploring how changing the body's position serves as a portal to connect with a deeper truth and shifts our awareness and focus. He led the group through the following precise steps:
Standing and Rooting The practice began by standing up, feeling the feet anchored and rooted to the ground, while simultaneously sensing the crown of the head and the energy above it, settling into an upright position.
The "I Am" Posture Participants were invited to bring their hands slightly in front of them, facing forward and upward. Max described this posture as carrying the simple, foundational quality of "I am... feeling today showing up for you in this position".
"The Great Yes" / The Welcoming Posture Gently, the arms were moved upward into a wide, open embrace—likened to welcoming friends you haven't seen in a long time. Max noted this posture expresses that we are alive and signifies a "great yes to life in all of it" and a radical welcoming of all creation and its beauty.
The Bridge (The Human Being on Earth) Moving the arms even further up into a half-circle towards the sky, participants opened their legs a little wider and bent their knees slightly. Feeling the openness towards the sky and the rooted connection down to the earth, this posture embodied the human being: upright, connected to both realms, with the love of the heart acting as the "bridge between the two".
Surrender and Devotion From the open bridge, participants sensed energy coming from the sky and brought it down to earth, and brought earth's energy up to the sky, slowly moving their hands down in front of their breath. Max described this as a gesture of surrender and devotion, representing a willingness to say "yes to life also when it's not going my ways".
Kneeling and Giving Weight to Mother Earth The group was then invited to go down into a kneeling position, sitting on their heels. With hands reaching forward, they were asked to let their foreheads touch the ground. In this pose of deep surrender, Max invited everyone to "give all weight to mother earth," trusting her carrying capacity and giving over all burdens and things no longer needed.
Upright Sitting and Gentle Reflection Finally, participants gently brought themselves into an upright position, still sitting on their heels with their hands resting on their legs. From this centered inner space and silence of the heart, Max invited the group to take a soft look at the things they call "distractions" or challenges in life, asking: "what would be the deepest message of those distractions lately?".
Reflections & Visuals The experience sparked deep reflections on the effort required to "hold up" our intentions versus the ease of letting energy flow. We laughed about the physical challenges of the practice (including the struggle of "holiday bellies" in the kneeling pose!) and discovered that focus often looks less like rigidity and more like surrender.
Participant Blair shared a spontaneous drawing of a "Focus Mouse"—a creature of senses, whiskers, and awareness - reminding us that focus is an active, sniffing, sensing engagement with the world.
Further Voices from Participants Following the session, participants shared their heartfelt reflections and feedback on the experience:
Chie: Expressed great gratitude for the "beautiful space" and asked Max to share his insightful stories. She noted how the meditative practice, transforming from "(who) I Am" into "welcome, openness... oneness... humbleness" with Mother Earth and the cosmos, was deeply helpful. She also beautifully highlighted experiencing the group "as a social field."
Ilona: Reflected on the "focus of inner intention, by embodiment of connection between the earth and the sky." She found the "inner tension and the unusual holding muscles" profound, noting how remarkable it was to see "how the individual body react[s]."
Nanne: Shared her joy for the gathering, stating she liked it very much and is happy that "others show themselves and their exercises"
Blair: Captured the core of our community in a few simple, powerful words: "I feel welcomed and I feel safe."
Invitations for the Next Cycle
We invite you to continue this journey of embodiment and connection.
1. Join us for the next call: Be present in the next call in March by registering here: https://luma.com/jvacahg7
Open Movalogue Calls are following an open approach to co-create out of the present moment. In case you love to guide into a practice, share a story or point to a specific topic please let us know and prepare to join 30 minutes before the call starts.
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