Consistently Inconsistent

I’m not going to lie, I have been consistenly inconsistent with my yoga practice in the last 6 weeks. S. and I moved counties, and becoming a surfer and starting a running regiment again has depleted my body. Not to mention, still working full time.

This past weekend after a 4 mile run and a 2 hour surf session, I decided to push myself to a yoga class. As I walked into the studio, my shoulders ached, my hips hurt, and my wrist was bothering me. I can completely say that I had no expectation whatsoever in this class. I just wanted to complete it. I even told the couple next to me if I cried because I was in pain, I was okay.

The beginning of the class was the hardest. My body was screaming in stiffness, and I just had to remember to breathe through it. As we started the Vinyasa Flow, my body started to ease up a bit. Yet again, I seriously had no expectation in this class. I usually walk into class with a certain confidence and eagerness to practice, but today, I knew that this was a day to heal my body and restore it.

About 3/4 through the class, the instructor told us it was time to practice handstand. I shrugged it off because of my shoulder tightness but I was willing to try it. She placed us at the wall and I walked my legs up to create the 90 degree angle she was looking for. I lifted one leg, thinking to myself, my leg is never going to go straight. My hamstrings are way too tight and my shoulders can’t support me.

To my surprise, my leg was actually straight up. The instructor told me to use my core to get my other leg off the wall, but I just didn’t have enough strength. So close!

The lesson here was if you truly have no expectations, maybe you will surprise yourself. Readers, has anything like this ever happened to you?

~Namaste

Scrappy Yogi