Final Reflections on Youthful Glow

It amazes me that no matter how many times I show up for my yoga practice, I experience something new with each pose if I'm mindful during the process. This is especially true for the poses I do on a daily basis. I've been doing the sequence from the Master Class section of Yoga Journal for a couple of weeks now and I notice different sensations in my body, I am very aware of what my mind is doing, and how I feel afterwards.

A couple of the times I did this sequence, I was unable to get into a relaxed supported shoulder stand. I adjusted and readjusted to hit that sweet spot, but nothing worked, and I left the practice feeling frustrated. However, a few days before that, it seemed that the supported shoulder stand was effortless. I did not keep track of the time I was in the posture, but I would guess it was between five and seven minutes. And I felt so light and free when I came out of the pose.

My biggest hangup with doing yoga is my expectations of my practice. I "expect" that I'll feel better after yoga, that my muscles will soften and respond, that my mind will remain peaceful throughout my practice. What I find frustrating is that when these "expectations" do not turn out as I want them to, I become disappointed. So, what I continually work on is to just be with my body, my thoughts, and allow my practice to unfold as it should. If I can remember the saying, all in good time, that helps me to put my practice into perspective.  So when I have days where my practice doesn't leave me feeling better or freer, I just need to remember, that maybe just showing up for my yoga practice is enough. I also think when my practice becomes more challenging, I may actually be experiencing new levels of deepening into the stretch, and my body is trying to make the adjustments needed so that my body will be safe.

For all those who celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope your day is filled with many blessings. Namaste.

More Reflections on Youthful Glow

In my previous post on Youthful Glow I shared each pose that Yoga Journal had published in its Master Class section of the periodical. Now, I'm just going to share my feelings after each day of practice rather than going into each individual asana.

Sunday I was stiff! I had taken Saturday off due to the fact we were running around, and quite frankly did not make the effort to take 15 minutes out of my busy day. What I noticed is that my shoulders stiffened again. I tried to remain optimistic by reassuring myself that this is a process: some good days, some days where I need to practice more self love. Sunday was one of those days.

Monday I felt sooooo good that I practiced the sequence again in the evening! Too much of a good thing? I don't think so. It just reaffirmed what I felt on Sunday: some days good, some days challenging.

Tuesday OK, so today I squirmed in the Supported Shoulderstand with a chair. For some reason, my lower back did not like the chair today. My cushion either wasn't positioned right, or I may just have had one of those more challenging day.

But overall I have to say! My upper back pain is not so intense as it has been. I can sit at the computer for longer stretches now without having to take physical breaks. I really do love this sequence!