This morning, we came together for a special fundraiser class in the cabin, raising money to support people affected by the crisis in Nepal. I’m so pleased to say that with the fees from the class plus all the amazing donations in the collection jar and money transferred digitally to me, we raised £550! This is incredible, thank you so much to everyone who contributed – this full amount has now been donated to the British Red Cross, specifically for the Nepal floods (please see screenshot at bottom of blog 👇).
I wanted today’s class to be about more than simply raising money, so I chose compassion as our theme — something that felt particularly appropriate when thinking about people facing hardship on the other side of the world.
What does compassion mean?
Compassion is more than simply feeling sorry for someone, rather it’s noticing suffering, allowing ourselves to care, and doing what we can to help. Our actions can sometimes feel very small, particularly when faced with something happening on such a large scale. But when lots of people make a small contribution, those actions can become something much greater. That was the intention behind our class: to come together, practice together and offer a little support beyond ourselves.
The Mountain Salutation
A special part of the class was the Mountain Salutation, which we practiced to the beautiful Tibetan Buddhist mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, traditionally associated with compassion (here’s the version I play on Spotify). A Mountain Salutation brings together breath, movement and the symbolism of the mountain — strong, steady and grounded, even when there is turbulence around us.
How to practice a Mountain Salutation
You’ll likely find lots of different Mountain Salutations, but I chose this one below as it’s my favourite 😊
Inhale — reach your arms up towards the ceiling
Exhale — bring your hands to your heart and bow
Inhale — sweep your arms up towards the ceiling and gently backbend
Exhale — fold forwards
Inhale — walk your hands forwards to Plank
Exhale — lower your body down to the floor
Inhale — extend your arms and lift everything away from the floor
Exhale — lower back down, bringing your hands underneath your shoulders
Inhale — tuck your toes and press back into Downward Facing Dog
Exhale — remain in Downward Facing Dog
Inhale — walk your hands back towards your feet
Exhale — fold forwards
Inhale — sweep your arms up towards the ceiling and gently backbend
Exhale — bring your hands to your heart and bow
Inhale — come back up
Exhale — return to Mountain Pose
Yin offered an opportunity for self compassion
We also brought compassion into the quieter, Yin part of the practice — exploring the idea that compassion isn’t only something we offer to others. We can practice it towards ourselves too: softening rather than forcing, accepting where we are, and allowing ourselves to be supported.
And, we finished with a simple thought: “When you’re ready to leave this space, perhaps carry a little of that support with you — and offer some of it to somebody else.”
A huge thank you 🙏
Thank you to everyone who came to the class and/or donated to the collection jar, helping us reach £550! Every contribution, however big or small, has been part of something really meaningful.
You are all amazing ❤
Michelle x
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