May the Force Be With You: A Practice in Presence, Power & Choice

Today is May the 4th, so naturally… we had to bring Star Wars into yoga.

 But not just as a gimmick.

Because underneath the lightsabers, Princess Leia buns, Ewok rolls and “stay on target” moments, there is actually a beautiful yoga teaching here.

A teaching about presence.
About support.
About fear.
About power.
About how we move through life without either collapsing or becoming rigid.

And really, isn’t that the whole practice?

In yoga we might call it prana.
In Chinese traditions, qi.
In Star Wars, they call it the Force.

That life force that moves within us, around us, and between us.

When we are connected to it, we can respond.
When we lose connection, we tend to grip, force, collapse, or react.

The Lightsaber Lesson

We begin our annual Star Wars class by playing with sticks — or lightsabers (obviously😊).

We explore balancing them on one finger.

At first, the mind says:

“That’s impossible.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“That’s a load of shite.”
“I won’t be able to do that.”

And isn’t that fascinating?

Before we even try, we often decide we already know the outcome.

But then something happens.

You try.
You wobble.
You adjust.
You move your feet, knees, hips, spine, shoulders.
Your whole body joins in.

And suddenly the stick balances.

Not because you became still and rigid.
But because you learned to move with it.

That is such a powerful teaching for yoga teachers and for life.

Balance is not stiffness.
Control is not gripping.
Presence is not freezing.

Sometimes going with the flow is what keeps us upright.

And sometimes, just as importantly, we consciously stop, take hold, and recentre.

That is the practice too.

Melt, Activate, Compress

A big part of our class explores the difference between:

melting
activating
compressing

And this is such an important distinction.

So often in yoga, when we ask students to “engage” or “activate,” they hear “tighten everything.”

Pelvic floor grips.
Jaw grips.
Belly grips.
Shoulders grip.
And suddenly the whole system is braced.

But activation is not compression.

Activation is readiness.
Aliveness.
Support.

Like a Jedi ready to move.

Not collapsed.
Not brittle.
But responsive.

For teachers, this is gold.

Can we help students feel the difference between power and tension?
Between support and strain?
Between containment and control?

Because that difference changes everything.

Princess Leia and the Power of Receiving Support

One of my favourite teachings from the class came through Princess Leia.

She is powerful.
She is brave.
She is no pushover.

And yet one of her most iconic moments is asking for help:

“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.”

There is such wisdom in that.

Strength does not mean doing everything alone.

As yoga teachers, we often remind students that support is available:

Use the wall.
Take the prop.
Bend the knee.
Rest.
Ask.

But how often do we practise that ourselves?

There is always support.

The question is:
Can we ask for it?
Can we receive it?

Stay on Target

Later in our practice, we moved through a strong balancing sequence — Warrior 3, Half Moon, reaching, turning, steadying.

But because it was framed as flying through space and staying on target, people did far more than they might have believed they could.

That is another teaching.

Sometimes the idea of the pose gets in the way of the experience.

Tell someone they are doing a difficult balance sequence and the brain says, “No thanks.”

Invite them into play, purpose, imagination and curiosity — and suddenly the body finds a way.

For yoga teachers, this matters.

Play is not silly.
Play is intelligent.
Play lowers fear and opens possibility.

The Light Side, The Dark Side, and Choice

Star Wars gives us this lovely doorway into exploring light and dark.

But not in a simplistic “good versus bad” way.

The deeper teaching is this:

Every choice has a consequence.

Some choices bring us closer to ourselves.
Some choices take us further away.

That might be a big life choice.

Or it might be tiny:

Do I eat when I need to eat?
Do I rest when I need to rest?
Do I ask for help?
Do I take my frustration out on someone else?
Do I listen to my body or override it again?

This is where yoga becomes life practice.

Not right or wrong.
Not perfect or failed.

Just action and consequence.

Moment by moment, we notice:

Is this choice bringing me closer to myself?
Or further away?

Courage Is Not the Absence of Fear

Princess Leia leads not because she is fearless, but because she acts even when she is afraid.

That line feels worth carrying into May the 4th.

For our students.
For ourselves.
For our teaching.

Courage is not waiting until we feel ready.

Sometimes courage is the breath we take while our voice still shakes.

Sometimes it is trying the thing we think is impossible.

Sometimes it is receiving support.

Sometimes it is stopping before we crash into the wall — or smack someone else on the head with our metaphorical lightsaber.

The Practice for Yoga Teachers

So, for May the 4th, here is the invitation:

Teach the Force.

Not as a gimmick.

As prana.
As presence.
As whole-body listening.
As support.
As choice.
As courage.

Let your students move, wobble, play, rest, melt, activate, and find their own way.

Because we cannot teach what we do not know.

And when we learn to listen to ourselves, respond to ourselves, and come back into balance, we are better able to support others to do the same.

May the Force be with you.

And also with your pelvic floor, your breath, your fascia, your choices, your courage, and your very excellent sense of humour 😊.

Laura

Star Wars & Philosophy Nerd