Last Week

By admin | July 13, 2015 |

Last week, I was all over the place in terms of times and studios for my classes. Quite unlike me as usually the only absolute I have in my day is my yoga and that includes the time and place, and exactly where I place my mat.*

But sometimes life has a way of changing things up on you. So I wasn’t where I usually was and I didn’t practice the way I normally do. Gasp.

I was scattered. Not centred, not focused, instead running for the studio door at the last minute to arrive as the poster girl for flustered, not one drop of serenity upon my harried brow, just an unattractive pre-yoga sheen and heart palpitations.

It was exhausting, to tell you the truth. But good too. Not being in my comfortable space, not having time to settle in before each class gave me an opportunity to feel new again, to have some moments filled with fresh thoughts, to bring it all back to me and my mat.

Learning to take some deep exhales and step away from the obvious reaction on and off the mat always, always feels like a brand new lesson.

Oh yes, there was some thinking being thought, some realisations being sifted through to present themselves as the little gems they were. There were even some flashes of perception.

Sometimes it takes a slight shift to view things from a different angle, to connect in a different way.

I learnt things too. Yoga things.

I had an a-ha moment working the bladder energy meridian and squeezing those inner thighs. Actually, I discovered I could squeeze my inner thighs. (It was quite the achievement, as I genuinely thought of my thighs as one section of body mass. Like a continent. Like Russia.)

I finally felt those ribs drawing down. They didn’t like it much so they pretty much popped straight back out but they were momentarily tucked. (Let it be noted.)

I discovered that placing my hand outside my front foot in extended triangle (Utthita Trikonasana) brought my shoulders in line and all of a sudden, voila! There was symmetry, baby! (I may have been cued this many times before but, you know, sometimes those cues don’t resonate. Sorry.)

It also finally dawned on me that my folded leg in pigeon was fine just where it was. Although it doesn’t sit parallel to the mat, with my foot flexed and my hips facing forward I do still feel exactly what I’m supposed to. So no more trying to force my body into a shape that doesn’t work for it. (Weight lifted, pose infinitely more enjoyable. Check.)

This week I start again. Squeezed inner thighs, tucked ribs and all, here we go.

– Jane

What about you? What did you learn on your mat last week? Did anything change in your practice?

*I know! On so many levels, I know!

Some links you might like (from the professionals):

http://lieske.com/channels/5e-bladder.htm

http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/extended-triangle-pose/

http://www.yogajournal.com/article/beginners/pigeon-pose/