The Edge, and assorted thoughts………..

We talk about the Edge in yoga class a lot. It’s a place that’s easy to find…..you’re on the mat, stretching, and then you hit the wall, you can’t go any farther. You’ve reached your edge. Everyone handles that spot differently. Some push, forcing their bodies to go further. Others, back off, fearing the sensations that occur there, worrying about injury or something like that. Regardless of what category you fall in, it’s an interesting place because it clearly shows you how you “do your life”……..pushing forward or backing off.

In Kripalu yoga, and in my classes particularly the lesson is to “explore” it. Discover, here and now, your relationship to the edge. The yoga lesson is to “be comfortable with what is”…..definitly easier said than done. If you are experiencing discomfort in the stretch, can you simply breathe into it and let it be okay? If you choose to back off and not approach the discomfort zone, can you let that be okay? Pushing past the edge is okay if you are edging forward slowly with mindful awareness and keen sensitivity to the sensations in your body. Forcing or pushing is definitly not okay.

How you do your yoga is how you do your life.

Did you practice yoga today?

A Time for Transformation……………….

He said, “Come to the Edge.”
I said, “I can’t, I’m afraid.”
He said, “Come to the Edge.”
I said, “I can’t, I’ll fall off.”
He said, finally, “Come to the Edge.”
And I came to the Edge.
And he pushed me.
And I flew.
Guillaume Apollinaire
(1880-1918)