My friend Andrew sent me this graphic from author/ yoga & meditation teacher Bernie Clark, just when I needed some inspiration. Andrew Lue-Shue is a wonderful artist and meditation leader who strives to cultivate and spread positive joyful energy. Check out some of his artwork and thoughts from his Peace Blog here: https://paxamor.ca/
What the quote means to me is that it's important to let a pose lead you to self exploration, rather than try achieve what we think it should look like. A pose is after all just a shape that we make with our body. The purpose is not aesthetics, but to FEEL.
For example, a forward fold, where we bend down by hingeing at the hips, is an important functional movement because we need to be able to put groceries away, get something from a lower shelf, or pick up keys that fall on the ground. However, consider how the pose would be very different for each of these people:
🌳 A 15 year old gymnast
🌳 A person who is paraplegic in a wheelchair
🌳 A woman who is 8 months pregnant
🌳 A 65 year old who golfs but has disc issues
Each of these people can practice some version of forward fold, but it would be adjusted to fit their body. The intention may be to stretch the back of the body, it may be to calm the nervous system, or both. When you come forward, you can get into your body by asking yourself:
🌳 What do I feel, and where do I feel this?
🌳 Do I need to make a change for it to feel right in my body?
🌳 Do I even like this pose? Is it useful to me?
It is because of these unique variations in our body that I like to offer different versions of poses in class, so you can explore and see what works for YOU.
If you would like to explore yoga that works with your unique body, you can work with me in group classes or 1-on-1 sessions via Zoom or in-person, and video recordings.