I Can See It

Back flips were never very scary.

 

When I was a Sophomore in high school, I was a pretty good diver.  I grew up swimming and doing gymnastics, so joining the diving team was an easy transition.  Now, I wasn't going to earn a college scholarship or make it on the Olympic team, but I fared well at meets and even placed tenth in a big metro competition.  Most of all it was fun and I enjoyed being part of the team.

The summer after my Sophomore year, I was working at the pool (best job ever).  During a break, a few of us were messing around, throwing a few dives.  I got up, like I'd done a hundred times before, to do a simple one and a half.  On my approach, my footing slipped, I landed hard on my low back and fell into the water.  (We later found out that the board was painted with house paint mixed with sand, not the best combination for a board.)  It completely stunned me.  When I was able to put it all together, my back was throbbing.

I was rushed to the hospital for an exam and x-rays.  Thankfully, everything was physically fine, just a really bruised back.  The only thing that was really injured was my psyche. 

For the rest of the summer, I didn't go off the board.  The next diving season, I made excuses about being too busy and just not interested.  In fact, I was petrified.  This went on for years.  For quite a while, I just avoided diving boards. About fifteen years later, I hesitantly went off again.  I was shaky and nervous, completely uncomfortable.  For the next ten years, that was about it.

It's fun again to soar through the air!

So, it's been 25 years and I decided it was time to get over it.  Logically, on a safe board I should be okay.  Logically, my body was physically capable.  Logically, people go off all the time and are just fine. 

Illogically, I'm still bruised.

So, I started visualizing.  I would close my eyes and imagine riding the board, soaring and landing safely in the comfort of the pool.  When I would visualize, I could feel my heart quicken and breath shorten.  When I recognized this, I would relax into my deep breath and try again.  After a couple of weeks of visualizing and really seeing it I was ready. 

The first few times were a little shaky, but I relaxed into my breath and focused on the fun of it.  I'm happy to say I can now really enjoy diving again.

In my personal yoga practice and with my students, I'll use visualization.  It helps me to see the path, the journey and my eventual arrival.  When I spend time mentally on the path, it's easier to find my way physically and emotionally.  I've already been there in my mind, so there is comfort and familiarity already established. 

I'm planning to spend the rest of the summer working on my bag of tricks.  I've started to build my diving repetoire.  I don't have any intention of returning to my limited high school glory, but right now I'm visualizing that ellusive one and a half.  Oh, my heart just quickened, I need to go close my eyes, visualize and breathe.

Namaste!

Mastering Child's Pose

One of my teachers, Gina Caputo, once said, “You can always pick out the advanced students in the room. They are the ones who actually will find balasana (child's pose) during their practice.” This speaks volumes to me. The opportunity to take a break, reconnect with breath and intention and enjoy some introspection during my practice is many times more challenging than that day's peak pose.

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that doing advanced poses makes you an advanced practitioner. While this can be true it is not always the case. Yoga is much more than a series of poses. It's when we can turn inward to become more connected to ourselves and take that outward to become more connected to others that we really advance. 

 

Regardless of which poses are in my asana practice, when I move with intention and as a full body prayer the practice is more challenging, more enjoyable and more peaceful. When my focus is on full and complete ujayii breaths, my practice is elevated. When my practice is woven with intention and meaning it also lingers with me when I walk away from the mat. 

So, they next time we're in class together, join me in balasana, full breath or make your practice a full body mudra and we'll take a few steps forward together.

Namaste!

Intention

It's easy to get caught up in the current of life. Going through the day, blindly running through a to-do list just to get things done, because they are expected, because that is the routine. There are so many demands; spouse, kids, home, work and committees to name a few. And then there are all of the wonderful distractions; television, facebook and smartphones. Purpose can easily get lost in the shuffle.
Intention can really make a difference. When you act with deliberate thought, effort and purpose, it shows. Think of the times you received that perfect gift that you did not even know you wanted or would love, deliberate thought was behind that gift. When you put together a meal from scratch with healthy, fresh ingredients it just tastes better and fills the soul as well as the belly, effort was put into that meal. When you participate in a well-planned meeting with direction and energy it's amazing the teamwork you can cultivate and what you can accomplish together, a purpose was shared.

Intention can be nurtured and honed on the yoga mat. At most classes, the teacher will instruct you to set your intention, focus on it and return to it throughout your asana practice. Why are you there? What do you need? What can you contribute? When you are new to yoga, there is so much to learn and get comfortable with and intention is no different. It always helps me when teachers encourage intention and go a step further to suggest a few.

I am strong. I am balanced. I am grace. I am peace. I am love.

Broader intentions can be incorporated to your practice as well. Consider dedicating your practice to someone or something as you would a prayer. Dedicate your practice for someone who is unable to. Dedicate your practice for the healing of a community in pain or conflict. Dedicate your practice to mother earth or father creator. Intention and dedication can add meaning and depth to your practice of yoga on and off the mat.

When intention becomes a regular part of your asana practice it easily begins to seep into other areas of your life. Instead of being caught up in the current of life you act with deliberate thought, effort and purpose. Intention.

What intentions do you invoke during your practice? How have you noticed intentions enhancing your life off the mat?