healing

The conclusion of this 100 day project could not have been more perfect this evening. Heading to 7:30 deep stretch yoga with the sunflower instructor, I felt the anticipation of experiencing more than just a class.

An hour before I left I tweaked my lower right back just a little bit feeding the dogs. Before this project, I might have let that stop me from going to a yoga class. Now, my body and my mind has learned through practice that the best solution to feeling imbalanced is action.

Stepping into the cozy foyer, the yogis from the previous class clamored about some looking through 3 Tree's yoga shirts, others gathering their belongings, and a handful talking to the yoda yogi instructor and owner of the studio. I slipped in, placed my items in a cubby and turned around to be greeted by the sunflower instructor asking if today was my 100th day. Her excitement was kind and encouraging. She even extended the invitation to include poses I like into the class as a way to celebrate my achievement. We both spoke about how it was unbelievable that the 100 days had already past so quickly.

She took my requests and the class flowed organically from there. I love inversions with the wall, and she heard this and we spent probably 1/3 of the class upside down which was incredible.

She spoke to us about subtle sensations. Paying close attention to the small sensations throughout our body. From the first pose of legs up the wall to the final pose of placing our hands flat on the ground in front of our crossed legs, I floated through the entire session. I engaged myself with the tiniest of reactions within myself intentionally relaxing the muscles we were stretching.

The studio fell into darkness as the class came to a closing. The sunflower instructor offered us reiki healing while we lay in shavasana: the final pose of class where you lay in stillness and return to a natural state of breath.

Reiki:

noun

1. a healing technique based on the principle that the therapist can channel energy into the patient by means of touch, to activate the natural healing processes of the patient's body and restore physical and emotional well-being.

I had never heard of it before that moment, but I knew I could use it.

That's the thing, the myth that one has to fully understand something in order to need it dominates our worlds. It restricts our confidence, our desire to take risks, and our belief in stepping outside of our comfort zone. The 100 day project has taught me more than I can ever squeeze into one final blog.

I dare you to try a 100 day project of your own. I saw a perfect post today on a friends team Facebook group for her beauty page: "Never give up on a dream just because the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." The longer we wait the more we are suffocated by our own insecurities instead of stepping out and experiencing life.