“Practicing self-awareness without judgment is the highest form of spirituality”
- Swami Kripalu
Why Korsi?
For as long as I can remember, I heard tales of the korsi from my mother and her siblings every winter.
"Zemestoonah, miraftim zireh korsi," they'd say. "In the winters, we'd crawl under the korsi."
In Iran, a korsi is a type of low table outfitted with a central heater underneath it and a thick blanket thrown over it. Back in the day, the heating source was hot coals under the table, and nowadays, with an electric heater. In many homes in Iran, Iranian rugs were spread wall to wall in living rooms (almost all rooms, for that matter), and poshtis, or thick, sturdy, upholstered backrest/cushions leaned against the walls. Family members would sit on the ground and lean against the poshti. In the wintertime, the korsi would be the central piece in a living room with a large blanket that spread over the whole table and reached as far out as the walls. "Crawling under the korsi" meant folx would gather around the korsi with the blankets pulled over their legs to keep warm.
Even now as I type this, my entire body and being is greeted with a sense of coziness and warmth. I'm comforted by the idea of the hearth, a place where people gather around a central source of heat: Gather with others or with Self (all the different side of the Self); a return to the warmth and wisdom within.
I truly believe that one way in which we can change the world is through engaging in dialogue with ourselves on a deeper level, in various form of personal development, and in dialogue with one another. As Brené Brown says, “People are hard to hate close up. Move in.”
This inspired Korsi Sessions, which will take many forms as we evolve.
The Korsi Concept
Over the years, as I’ve journeyed through my own discovery of my health, vitality and Self (which of course came via it plummeting at different points of my life), I have found that I consistently return to 3 themes or pillars, if you will, that I aspire to keep balanced: nourishmeant, movemeant, and connection.
• Nourishmeant •
In what ways do I nourish myself, my body, my mind, my soul to prepare me for the day/week/year/life ahead? This includes foods, liquids, books, social media, people, conversations, time in nature, etc.
• Movemeant •
Our bodies are designed to MOVE. Whether that’s dancing, walking, yoga, swimming, running, cycling, anything! Move Your Body! Strive to do it in a conscious way with an understanding of what is present for you in your own body.
• Connection •
In a culture where every little thing is vying for our attention, taking time for intentional connection with Self, with others, with nature, and with something greater has added immense value to the quality of my day and my being.
*Ya ya, I’m a dork and I intentionally spell these with “meant” because I’m in the active participation of nourishing and moving with purpose. I mean to do it, not just because it’s the newest fad/sexy thing to do.
About Shahrzad
Shahrzad is an Iranian-American RYT-500 hour yoga teacher in Houston with a passion for move-meant, nourish-meant and deep connection. Like most teachers, she loves what she does and loves sharing the gift of this practice.
She teaches to create a space for people to connect more deeply to their breath, to themselves, to others, and to the world around them. She believes in the incredible healing yoga offers by bringing more mindfulness, awareness, attention, and sweetness to our bodies, our minds, and our lives. She is always in continuous learning both in the form of certifications, assisting trainings and her own edification [svadhyaya in practice].
She has been a student of yoga since 2008 and began a deeper dive into the practice and its philosophy after she moved to Houston at the tail end of 2014. She started practicing and meditating with different groups around town, obtained her 200 hour certification with yogaOne Studios, 300 hour certification through The Connect, and her Restorative and Yin certifications with Ashé Yoga, as well .
I am eternally grateful and give reverence to all my teachers. Roger and Albina Rippy, Heidi Lehto, Davina Davidson, Tamika Caston-Miller, Leslie Kaminoff, Rich Roll, among many other incredible yoga teachers, non-yoga teachers, and more importantly, as Rich Roll says , “the prophets [who] walk among us.”