Teaching power yoga has been a wonderful experience for me. I enjoy practicing the more advanced postures as I break them down and teach them to students. The best part, by far, is when students surprises themselves with the strength and flexibility they didn't realize they had; that moment their face lights up with surprise and delight is worth so much. Oftentimes, when I model a challenge pose, I watch a bunch of blank stares and even hear a few exasperated laughs. I can only imagine the negative thoughts that are flooding the minds of my students. These "can'ts" really get in the way of what is truly possible.
How many times have you felt like the task in front of you is impossible? Whether a career passion, a romance, a goal... Let me tell you, it is possible. When I began to practice after I gave birth to my daughter, I never thought handstands and headstands would be possible again. I didn't believe my core could regain the strength needed to move into these postures. What made the difference? Practice and determination. There were many moments I felt defeated and hopeless when it came to my yoga and fitness goals. I still have many of those days. I am also beginning to have good days, where my alignment is right on and my body feels strong. Practice the things you want. Go after them with zeal. When you hit a road block, take a moment to recenter and keep moving forward. This posture is a variation of salamba sirsasana or supported headstand. The legs are moving into scorpion. The full expression of scorpion is balancing on the forearms with head lifted in a forearm balance. I'll get back to you when I have mastered that... For this posture, you will begin crouched on the floor bringing the crown of your head to the floor. Interlace your fingers and clasp the back of your head with your hands, elbows are on the floor next to your ears. Begin to straighten your legs and walk your feet in as close to your head as you can. Slowly, bring one leg up at a time (when you have built up enough strength you will want to lift both legs together), engaging your core until you are in supported headstand. From there, very slowly bend your knees, trying to keep them together as much as possible. It is very important to keep pulling your belly button toward your spine in order to support your lower back. Voila! Scorpion variation of headstand ;).
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As the world seems to keep spinning at a faster and faster pace, I have noticed my levels of anxiety rising despite my consistent practice of yoga. Now, once I make it to my mat, I am at ease and centered (one of the reasons I am grateful for being an instructor as I am forced to take time for yoga). Off my mat, I have been finding it extremely difficult to keep my zen aura going after class. I have been searching for an answer to solve the cause of this anxiety but focusing on it has just perpetuated the cycle.
What I realized over this past weekend was, in order to reset, I needed to get out of my comfort zone- literally leaving town. When my husband suggested taking the train down the coast to San Diego and using the public transportation system once we were there, the anxious voice in my head said, "Not even an option." There were too many variables with our daughter and all the baby gear we would need for the weekend. My husband really wanted to do it (and he doesn't ask for much), so I decided to cave and I am SO glad I did. We had the most incredible adventure as a family with memorable moments we only could have had using the public transportation system. We both noted that it felt like we were in a completely different world on vacation, even though we only took one night away. The craziest part is I literally did not feel an ounce of anxiety during our trip and came back with a refreshed outlook. In yoga, we often stay safe in our comfort zone because we are afraid of our limits. Move past this and step outside of your comfort zone, whatever that means to you. Maybe you push your edge a little bit. Maybe you embark on a new posture you feel will never be possible for your body. Move forward with consciousness and willingness to take a risk. There is no such thing as failure in yoga. Yoga is about the journey. If you feel stuck maybe you need to take a journey off your mat and step outside of YOUR comfort zone. |