Posts Tagged ‘balance’

Lovely, lovely… and, despite the exertion involved a nice relief from the previous posture, Dekasana- airplane.

The support of one, or two hands if you wish, certainly helps.  The support of the arms provides leverage, allowing for greater extension through the lifted leg, with that foot active and energized.

With a last inhale in airplane, getting a little bit more from the slight backbend, heart reaching forward and up, maintain straight back and exhale, hinging at the hip, draw the torso forward down the long line of the thigh.

Be conscious of the line, making sure to keep the trunk turned to lay against the supporting leg.  With the forward bending motion, the extended leg reaches, long and upwards, the toes eager and active towards the ceiling or up the wall to the rear.

This is an energetic posture and the torso extends long down the leg, pulling in the opposite direction of the reaching toes.  Long, long… oh so long!  The arms are engaged, with hands either on the floor, on the ankle or one of each, pulling offering assistance to the extension happening through both the torso andhttp://www.mommyom.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=761 leg.  A block is absolutely encouraged to offer assistance in support with the hands, to keep the torso properly aligned, if the floor isn’t going to happen without it.  That leverage is important in maximizing the benefit of this posture.

Regardless the height of the leg, the idea is length and energy… down into the floor through the supporting leg and foot and the hands and up through that long, extended leg into and beyond the toes.

Breathe, breathe… BREATHE!!

Feels good, don’t it?!

We have been trying to implement a regular routine of meditation for the kids…

It’s short and sweet, don’t get me wrong.

While eleven year old sits and is definitely interested in ‘getting it’, the others are typical kids and do what they have to to endure the seemingling endless minutes.  There’s a bit of fidgeting by seven-year-old. And five-year-old lone girl child feels the need to act out the scenes I describe to facilitate relaxation: eyes scrunched shut, turning her face upwards with an exaggerated smile towards a fictional sun or scratching and digging her toes into the floor as though it’s actually warm Caribbean sand.

Regardless the fidgeting and dramatic performance, it’s a practice. It’s a practice that will provide them with a personally valuable life skill.  The ability of being able to still the mind, get quiet, calm down, gather.  It’s a practice that will serve them well as they grow and mature and the anxieties and stresses of life intensify. They don’t understand that now, certainly.  But I take heart in this being a gift I can give them that will provide them infinite rewards as they evolve into teens and adults.

However, as we- parents- make our way through our own transition right now, implementing new strategies to manage our stress and keep thinking positively, and as we enjoy the benefits of these strategies, it becomes clear that these few minutes early in the day are only part of the picture.

The practice extends beyond just a few minutes of focusing on good feelings for a few moments.  It’s an exercise in looking for, recognizing, and even getting excited anticipating, good things throughout the day.  Little things, sometimes really seemingly insignificant- inconsequential- things, but together add up to a wonderful day.

As homeschoolers we’re together most of the day.  This lends itself to great quality time, but also to more opportunities for conflict and irritation.

So, we’ve begun making lists throughout the day… making a brief stop here and there to quickly consider and jot down those good things that happen, no matter how small.  Say, really simply,  ‘I had leftover pizza for lunch…”  or “I got my language arts done in only one hour…” or “Sister helped me build my fort…”

These little things end up being pretty easy to identify (particularly for kids!) and what’s remarkable about this exercise -an introduction to appreciation and gratitude- is how fast the lists are compiled and how much fun it becomes!

There is no right or wrong in the lists, as long as they’re positive and that they please us to look back upon.

It brings colour to the day.

Of course, this practice doesn’t eliminate the bumps and challenges that can be part of our days, but it gives us a little precious perspective, balancing the conflicts, trials and frustrations with appreciation, fun and wonder.

So, in this one, I’ll settle for just enjoying the pose to it’s fullest!  Dancer’s Pose, or Natarajasana is one of the loveliest postures I know.

In the balance postures, and in particular Natarajasana, which many find difficult, it is the focus that brings light to the posture… think:  80% focus, 20% physical ability.  That should take some pressure off!

At a recent retreat, the woman with whom I shared my ‘tent-alow’, a fellow Canadian and true yogini in almost every sense of the word, surprised me the morning of our first practice, when I happened to be on my mat directly to her rear, in the row behind.

Not classically built for flexibility, or so I thought, my roommate approached the posture as we all did, but then somehow, she seemed to leave us.  As the bodies surrounding her found their place of focus and some comfort in varying degrees of the pose, for the most part, extended, reaching forward… it was as if her torso, her heart within her breast, along with her foot, clasped in both hands, were being pulled towards the sky by a string held by Shakti herself.  Her body became a circle, arced round, strong, unwavering and perfect.

From my place in the posture, I could but stare in blatant longing.  When I asked her about it later, expressing my admiration at the sheer beauty of it, she simply shrugged, claiming it was a favourite, but added quietly, “I feel love in that pose…”   Mmmmmm… the power of yoga!

I found this wonderful video, which in addition to being a brief but thorough education in Natarajasana, addresses many people’s propensity to turn slightly, which allows for taking the posture deeper, but with the wonky alignment twists the spine awkwardly, while torquing the hip outward.

Ahem.  I suppose I’ll be taking a better look at my alignment.