Upside Down Victory

"Don't sweat the small stuff...and it's all small stuff." ~Richard Carlson

As I stood holding my triangle shaped, downward-facing dog position, I could feel my sweat dripping everywhere. Let's face it, I was sweating in places that I never knew I could sweat in. The temperature in the room had to be somewhere between 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit, but as a born Floridian I could totally take the heat. In fact, I loved it! The hot yoga class was so invigorating, it was as though I could feel all the toxins flowing out of my body through my pores. The 90 minute yoga session consisted of Vinyasa style movements, in which the movement was synchronized to the breath. Thankfully, my hamstrings were no longer screaming from the session days before, they were almost dancing as the heat allowed my body to go into a deeper stretch.  I was ecstatic to have mastered the downward-facing dog position, which was repeated frequently throughout the session.

Downward-facing dog: The pose resembles an upside down letter V.

1. When starting on your hands and knees, your hands should be beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips.

2. Curl your toes under and press against the balls of your feet. Lift your hips toward the ceiling, fingers pointing forward and spread apart to help ground yourself on the yoga mat. Your body should make an inverted letter V.

3. Press your chest toward your knees, keeping your head relaxed, eyes on your toes, and pressing your heels toward the floor. Breathe deeply and move deeper into the pose with each exhalation. Depending on your flexibility, you may be able to touch the floor with your heels.

Okay. I may not be able to touch the floor with the back of my heels...yet, but I did feel like "Elasti-Girl" at the end of the session, believing that with just one swift motion I could roll up my yoga mat with just my big toe. Well, in truth, I rolled up my yoga mat with my hands. Nevertheless, my big toe could have done the work all the same.    

Lotus Flower

"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." ~Saint Francis of Assisi

I've learned that lotus flowers are symbolic, inspiring people to continue striving through difficulties and to show their best part to the outside world, no matter how bad the circumstances may be. The lotus flower grows from the murky darkness at the bottom of the pond, emerging pure and clean. It is said to symbolize beauty and light. The plant's stalk is easy to bend in two, but it is very hard to break. Resilient in its own unique way. When I think of the lotus flower, I imagine perseverance. The lotus flower reminds me that life is fragile, everyone has their own obstacles in life and can find light even after the darkness has faded. I believe that it is important to always remember that.

We are continuously driven to edit and revise our daily lives. We make sure to prepare for the day, and revise as we see fit, each day leading to new growth and development. I woke up craving some positive juju, so I decided to take a Positive Energy Yoga class today. My hamstrings were screaming, but it was exactly what my body needed. 

Child's Play?

"Life is not a dress rehearsal. Stop practicing what you're going to do and just go do it. In one bold stroke you can transform today." ~Marilyn Grey

Yoga is often portrayed as a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation. I consider myself a novice in the art of yoga, having just started out, but I'm already aspiring to become a full-fledged yogi in a year's time. I'm aware that what I'm about to say is terribly cheesy, but I can't help but feel that yoga found me, more than I found it. I've come to a place in my life where I find myself finally ready to make exercise the focal point in my daily regimen, in order to strengthen my lungs, improve my breathing capacity, achieve a sense of calm, a state of relaxation - overall, I want to become more aware of the ebb and flow of energy throughout my body to enhance my quality of life. I believe that yoga can help me accomplish this goal.

During my first 90 minute yoga session, I found that many of the positions we were instructed to practice were a bit beyond my skill level. Okay. In truth, almost all the positions were beyond my ability. The other positions required a good amount of balance, utilizing muscles and movement that were foreign to me and my body. Merely attempting some of the positions was enough to push my body to its threshold, so I would revert into Child's Pose as a way of reigning myself back in. Admittedly, I assumed the Child's Pose for the majority of the class. I could hear the instructor's words repeating, "listen to your body," as I hovered over my green yoga mat. Why did my body insist on assuming this position? Was I hiding, in shame of myself? As the other students' limber bodies held their majestic Eagle Poses firmly, I kept my face down on the mat, a turtle retracted into its shell. I had already positioned myself in the back row of the class, in case an embarrassing situation just like this one arose. I like to think that no one aside from the instructor noticed, but who knows. It turns out that the Turtle - I mean, Child's Pose, is in fact a restorative yoga position that induces deep relaxation and even stimulates the pituitary gland. It's true. I noticed as soon as my forehead hit the mat, that I felt centered, and experienced a sense of peace. It's no wonder why a child resorts to this position after throwing a temper tantrum.

Child's Pose: Start on your hands and knees. Sit your tailbone back towards your heels, coming to sit on your calves. Bend your upper body forward, resting your chest on your thighs, your forehead on the floor, and your arms outstretched forward.

While my obvious physical shortcomings held me back a bit in my first yoga session, I'm proud to say that I've definitely mastered the Child's Pose! According to Sri Dharma Mittra, there are at least 1,300 total variations of yoga positions. So, I guess that's 1 down, and about 1,299 to go! How many positions will I be able to master within a year's time? I'm certainly looking forward to finding out.