This flow - like the previous one - has been a long time coming. Being that it was fully 9 months in the making, it went through a series of names as I put myself through the paces of how I’m feeling about living in Uganda. First I called it Heimweh - homesickness, plain and simple. Then I called it Fernweh - missing travel, or missing a place that’s not your home. (Complex concept? It's probably a single word in German.) Finally, as I got more adjusted but still didn’t feel like Uganda was home I called it Fernfreude, a word I made up to symbolize finding joy somewhere that is not your home.
Names aside, the physical practice starts off slow - so as not to jangle already-frayed nerves - and builds into a sweaty-but-smooth repeat flow demonstrating how a movement as simple as quarter salutations or bending one knee feels complex with a modified setup. Like every flow, it reflects where I am with life right now, and - as the names reflect - that is an ever changing sense of belonging to my current station. Thus, this flow is an exhortation to honor and appreciate the protracted challenge that comes with big life transitions. It alternates moments of intensity with active rest, to train the habit of finding openness and release even in the midst of challenge. With all this, it leans heavily on the metaphor of building strength, muscle memory, and compassion until one is forced to come to the conclusion that this moment, however challenging it may seem, is possible to love.
Here's the playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6UWnSWwbRAOaIAr2oiKn1O
Hope you enjoy!