Practice

I am taking today off after practicing for 6 days straight.  There is a little part of me that is still saying 7 days because I practiced twice on Saturday.  For Lent, I gave up candy.  So that I would not feel like it was just about  giving something up I decided to add practicing once a day.  Increasing practice days has led me to make smarter decisions about the classes I am taking.  For example, following an hour and a half level 2 class with an hour yin class the next day.  I have not had to ice anything even though I pulled my left calf muscle while running about a month ago.  That injury has been very interesting for me because of all the balance poses we do at FSYC.  As I have come to know my body better over time my left side is actually stronger than my right.  When we add 3-4 balance poses together however, my calf muscle just isn't happy and I have to take a break.

Taking a break and resting is what I offer out to my students all the time when I teach.  While the voice in my head may be shying away from taking the break my body is shutting down and I simply cannot hold the pose anymore so I have no choice otherwise I might fall to my knees.   I simply place both of my hands on the floor and steady myself and my breath and I simply wait for the next transition.  It reminds me of when I lived in Pennsylvania and I would take the train to work.  I always had to change trains in Bryn Mawr.  Just standing and waiting.  No texting, no cell phone, no reading, just waiting.  Noticing everything around me and taking it all in.  Same thing when I wait for the next pose.  I get to hear my breath, the sound of the person breathing next to me, and I just soften into the moment.  Not wanting to go anywhere, not feeling like I have to leave where I am.

Just being very patient as I wait for the next pose, the next stoplight, the next train, the next moment.

Lori