reaction with humor
Tonight's class was subbed by an instructor I hadn't yet been able to enjoy, but was overcome with gratification for her teaching methods the instant we began chatting. And not because she had already been reading the blog.
Basic vinyasa with this bohemian instructor was more than what I needed today. I am still battling personal demons out of my control as I try to conclude the school year strong, and I felt slightly drained at the start of this class. I was quickly invigorated as we began our opening movements.
We moved through each pose paying close attention to our breath, but not obsessing over it as you can always adjust yourself back into your breath at any point taking a break from any pose. There is a sense of lightness in her class. Nothing is serious, but it is not laid back either. It is whatever you want it to be.
Shifting into half pigeon, she explains the variety of modifications to the pose that one can make as you want to feel like stretch within the pose but not pain.
"It's okay if you do not do the pose in its entirety, no one comes to this class...well they shouldn't...to show up and say 'hey look what I can do'. With yoga, your practice is constantly being challenged, but here you are able to experiment with your practice."
There is a beauty in experimenting with boundaries: boundaries you set for yourself, boundaries society sets for you, boundaries you accidentally established early on in your life, and boundaries that you think you have to follow. Since the beginning, the expansion of mankind has been practice. Today, we must continue with the concept of reaching outside of what we know in order to expand who we are, the opportunities we can find, and the purpose we can serve.