The Perfect Spot: Flow Yin with Rissa: Nava Yoga, St. Petes Beach, FL: Janaury 7, 2016
I often listen to the recorded lectures of Ravi Ravindra when I can't sleep. His teaching is soothing. I've been caught in sutra 2.21..the seen is for the sake of the seer (tad-artha eva drishyasya atma) and a continued curiousity between the body and the spirit. Otherwise said, what is my purpose? Why am I here? Or the troubling, am I in the right alignment?
The tour is taking a shift, in a bit of a gamble, but hey, what's not worth it? We are waiting for yet another look by the doctor at his vocal chords on Monday to determine what's going to happen on the tour. Do the run and risk some damage to his voice? Do some of the run? Cancel the shows? Only time will tell and I so want to know what happens next. Its the mind that wants to know what happens next. All the time. Its just so acute at the moment it makes for an excellent place to practice.
I"m pretty sure the universe listens to ones deepest heart longings. Todays flow yin class helped sort this out for me today. In a class called flow yin, we did 30 minutes movement, 30 minutes yin, 15 savasana/meditation. Or so it felt like.
The practice reminded me to move, assess deeper, and move again from the deeper self. Sages for centuries have suggested this. As we entered the yin portion and into supine shoulder stretch (body of Christ pose, on the belly with arms out like on the cross and rolling to one side) it was the perfect spot..finally...to dig deep into a tight spot on my around S1 on my left side.
Hurt like hell, so I asked it "what do you have to tell me? What needs to be revealed?" My body answered to keep moving forward. Whatever ahead is not to be feared. Your life is your own, your path is unique, just flow your alignment. Which resulted in a super deep twist that would snap the average bear in two pieces. Lately people in yoga class, unwillingly of course, have been making fun of my flexibility. And I know plenty of yogis who are way more flexible. The point is to move as I feel called, not like anyone else.
Rissa guided us through a wonderful supine pada hastasana series that went something like:
One leg in butterfly and the other leg is extended straight and out to the opposite side.
Back to supine center w butterfly knee up, sole of the foot on floor
Bent knee to center, rotating hip in opposite direction, and extend opposite leg to side
Back to supine center
Extend bent knee to straighen leg
Twist only 4 inches, both legs straight, and both hips on floor.
The relief of my tight spot was immense.
The truth is we an never really know what's going to happen next. And if the tour gets rerouted and we have substancial time off, maybe its time to get back to what I really love to do...teaching yoga. Maybe this is an opportunity to stay home and dig in. Maybe its time to go to Chang Mai and study. Maybe the tour will resume and maybe maybe maybe....arrgh.
Too early to tell. The seen is for the sake of the seer and we are continually guided where spirit wants and needs us if we just listen.
Today after yoga I'm headed to get some fresh juice and a long walk down St. Pete's Beach. That's as far as I can see today.