Yoga Magellen

Today I was feeling a little stiff in my lower back, and my left shoulder was bothering me. I had planned to do a home practice, but was very tempted to skip it to give my back and shoulder some rest. Still, I thought maybe I'd just do a light practice to loosen things up a bit, and then get on with my day. Since my time today is a bit less structured, I hit my mat with no particular expectations; just the idea to work on the areas that were bothering me. An hour and a half later I had done a full practice, including some inversions and arm balances that I hadn't worked on in a while. With no particular agenda for my practice, I was able to use my time to connect with my body and breath, and allow them to lead me where I needed to go. I took my time along the way to enjoy a few poses and work on some variations I hadn't worked on before. I played around with some sequencing ideas; some worked, some didn't, and even though I had a sense of the direction I was going in, I had no specific poses that I specifically wanted to visit but instead opted to follow where I was being led.

Sometimes I feel like a tourist visiting my practice. I have my guidebook in hand, I know all the sights I want to see along the way, I have an itinerary of where I need to be and at what time. I may be able to see and do some fun things, but at the end of the day I really didn't get to partake in the culture, or spend time browsing through the really cool bazaar at the side of the road. Today I felt more like an explorer. I had my compass and a knife, a bottle of water and a sleeping bag. I was able to set out on a journey with no specific destination in mind, spend time with the locals and make some new friends along the way. I journeyed in whatever direction I was compelled, and took my time once I got there.

So often I get caught up in what I can accomplish; how much can I get done? how many poses can I fit in? how can I make this transition more interesting? This approach has it's benefits. Structure can be very beneficial, and we can learn a great deal from setting goals and making plans on how to accomplish them. It's when I get caught up in the results that I get discouraged. When I start judging today's practice by what I did yesterday, or last week or even last year. That's where I need to remember to point my body in the right direction and let my breath guide me the rest of the way. Then I become open to whatever might present itself, and stop being locked into the rut of what I "should" be experiencing. So, even on those days when I'm pressed for time and need to stick to the itinerary, I can still retain the spirit of the explorer.