i have been spending a lot of time in the yoga studio lately. a lot. it has been a gift of my newly flexible schedule that i can spend time nearly every day trying to apply the same level of stretching to my physical self. but it hasn't just been the great exercise that keeps me going back. the little tidbits of wisdom that all the teachers offer has been of just as much value. here is what i learned today from a lot of time hanging it in warrior 2.
image: timsamoff via flickr
on most days, i go to class at liberation yoga. my tuesday class is a nice mix of entry level and slightly more advanced students and is often a great reminder about proper form and alignment. another tip is that beginner classes are great for building strength, as you often hold the poses much longer since the teacher has to coach everyone through each detail. i find myself just as sweaty and scary looking in this class as any other level.
one thing i have noted is that my teacher uses the instruction, "from here," to guide us to the next level of the pose. it is a non-threatening command and i find myself willing to do what she suggests whenever we get to these points, even if it is a bit daunting. i gave some thought today as to why that might be.
"from here" never includes the whole process of the pose. it is a slight move further in or out of where we are. as in" from here, bend your knee slightly more to make a right angle," or "from here, continue to press the foot into the leg and begin to take your arms overhead." it is not, "from here pick up your foot, stick it to your leg, wrap your bottom lip over the top of your head, breathe three times, and then bend your entire torso back over until the top of your head rests on the floor and your hands and legs are all up in the air." no. it is, "from here: look to see that your knee is lined up with your ankle."
i realize that i am much more guilty of giving myself directives that sound like the crazy ridiculous one above that the proper sort of "from here." last night i found myself a bit frenzied and anxious and did not see that this was a result of avoiding directing myself "from here". organizing several months worth of bills, entering everything into quicken, editing through my photos clogging up my hard drive and picking out the ones from my ended relationship after spending the day putting up material promoting my business on the web (something that always feels very expsoing and scary) was a bit like trying to levitate off my mat with no step-by-step assistance. it is only possible to move from where we are, but i often am plowing along at such a pace that i don't pay attention to where the "here" is that i am supposed to be launching from.
i was lucky enough to get to interview the wonderful coach, laura sari geduldig, this afternoon. i worked with you when i lived in the bay area and one of the main things i learned from her, which she reiterated in our conversation today, is to break things down into manageable pieces. making things less, rather than more complicated. our entire conversation was uplifting and an excellent addition to my new direction to myself only to move "from here."
look for a full interview (they are back!) later this week with laura, who is the brains and the heart behind go there! coaching. i am delighted to share her thoughts with you, as well as to be interviewing those who inspire me once again.
move slowly, and keep your knee over your ankle this week. we will all move further if we only take it from one "here" to the next.
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