Bows and Flows of Angel Hair at Bird Rock Yoga: San Diego, CA: October 14, 2018
I really don’t’ know clouds at all - Joni MItchell. Early morning beach walk after a fabulous late night hang with super cool angel haired friends.
Class this morning at Bird Rock Yoga was a classic vinyasa flow, complete with mirrors on the front wall. Its always shocking to catch myself in a mirror while practicing yoga because I don't look on the outside how aligned and awesome I feel on the inside. I caught myself today, mid vinyasa, looking particularly dorky. Vinyasa flow isn't my usual practice and I’m not great at it because coordination isn’t my strong suit. Like all practices it completely relates to what's happening in real life, and I've lost some of my flow mojo.
Yogis mapped the body in layers called the koshas, sometimes translated as veils of the self that cloud our vision from seeing our True self. I've been in overthinking mode lately, stuck in the manosmaya. Obviously we need to have the ability to think, but its not the whole picture because the mind can't possibly know it all. I got wound up in my mind flowing from side angle to reverse triangle, trying all at once think about my front femur, lifting my heart, tempering my rib cage, softening the toes, and, oh yeah, don’t forget to breath. By the time I took care of all those details the rest of the class was in post vinyasa downdog. I was so wrapped up in details and trying to get it right I was no longer in the flow. I’m all about finding your own flow, but this is something else entirely. This was being stuck in my head, which always blocks the heart from finding her groove.
One of my main fascinations lately is the psoas. This is our deepest muscle and is directly linked to our stress response. If you want to wreck a perfectly lovely vinyasa class, just focus on the stress in your psoas. Just think about your to do list, and what you’re going to eat after class, and where you’re going to find a good cup of coffee. I mean really, no wonder I was stuck and cranky and out of flow. I didn’t even notice the practice offered right in front of me was a lot of fun until 45 minutes into the class.
My overthinking followed me out the door after class. Glancing at my text lists, sorting through them, all the while trying to follow my google map to Bird Rock Coffee. Like in the yoga class it started to impinge on a great weekend with friends, and like yoga class I caught myself before it was too late. Ditch the computer and join in on the flow of fun with my friends.
Which is exactly what happened.
In yoga the vrittis are sometimes referred to as the cloud covering of the mind that blocks you from flowing with the magificience right in front of us. Happiness, love, God, peace, yoga all are right here. We just get cloudy and can’t see it. Our thoughts, get in the way sometimes and they pop up in the most baffling ways. As Joni MItchell says, “I really don’t know clouds at all”.
At sunset, after a day full of laughter and friendship, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. My heart was full of joy, having followed the flow. The mind won’t get you there, connection does. And I’m so happy I’ve practiced yoga enough to start to make better choices in flowing with ease, grace, love and yes, my psoas too.
Health, Love, and Rock N Roll
Sunset with my beautiful angel haired friend Elise. Not a cloud in the sky this evening. x
