After taking a long winter's nap (all day!) after the excitement of the past weekend, I find myself on Sunday night facing a good, invigorating 30 minute cardio yoga workout.
Most of the routines were similar to what I've done before, moving faster through Sun Salutations with Warrior 1 and Chair Pose added in.... but one particular pose that I liked (and found incredibly challenging!) being a modified side angle pose where the torso is on the line of the back leg, but instead of having arms with lower arm bend and elbow resting on knee or fingers on the floor, instead rotating both arms into a vertical line and using core and legs to maintain the position. That was a really good one and my temptation to either drop that hand to the floor or brace against the bent leg was intense!
Add in some long-held chair pose with twists to either side and of course the held low Chaturanga pose which is becoming my "frenemy"... I was actually sweating a bit and breathing heavier than I expected for such a short (relatively speaking) workout. Though I was surprised how quickly we arrived at Relaxation Pose, easing the tension in my forehead that I swear has encamped itself there semi-permanently.
Despite the physicality of the practice, my mental challenge was even more intense. Controlling my my mind tonight was like corralling cats. Flitting over my obligations and responsibilities, berating myself for not doing enough, for my sore hip flexors, for not being able to get my forehead to my knee in forward bends, being unforgiving of my tightness in my hamstrings and those reminder twinges in my low back that tell me I'm pushing too hard...... and so another opportunity to release the expectations and work with what my body presented to me as today's challenges.
Thankfully by the end in total relaxation, pulling out my hair tie and just easing myself into the floor, adjusting my back so my shoulder blades lay flat and my legs sunk into the floor, the tension of my face slid away and by the time I re-engaged and came back to seated position, my head felt lighter, like a helium balloon gently floating up and away from my shoulders, and my shoulders relaxed and slipping farther from my ears. It continues to amaze me, even after the better part of a decade doing my yoga practice, that amazing change that can come over me. How much habitual and chronic tension I hold in my face, my shoulders, my hips.... and that release feeling so much greater and more invigorating!
Feel alive!
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