We had a kind of a special yoga class this weekend, for the Winter Solstice....all that nature & renewal kinda stuff....at one point...this is gonna sound really hokey to the non-yoga cynics out there...we were doing sun salutations and our legendary teacher told us to improvise for the next five minutes or so...move in whatever way felt most natural...needless to say, there’s nothing harder than being natural on demand...so I kept doing the usual thing...though noticing that it did feel a bit stiff...then, gradually, found myself swinging between upward and downward facing dog in an almost wavelike fashion...which did feel surprisingly right...like I’d really gotten into some kinda deep down dog consciousness for the Winter Solstice...woof
Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war is what William Shakespeare had Marc Antony exclaim over the body of Caesar....notably, though, neither Shakespeare nor Antony was actually a dog....
11 comments:
I guess you kind of have to lose yourself in yourself. Perhaps even pick a particular object to focus on in your mind and....just focus. Practice being natural at home and sees what position you feel most comfortable in, and then take that to class. That's my two cents.
Downward facing dog is my favorite pose - no kidding!
I'm not familiar with yoga poses but if it gives you a woof (thrill) then go for it.
I'm trying so hard not to make a comment about you posing "doggie style"...oops.
I know nothing about yoga poses, but I do agree that it's important to pour yourself into the pose that is right for you -- be it yoga, or an attitude in daily life. It doesn't always come naturally, but it feels great when you finally find it.
Love your blog -- keep writing! :)
Dudes!! It was Summer Solstice here and 41 degrees centigrade ... that's 105 F.
Send snow...
Y'know, this is kind of how yoga is meant to be. Eventually, its a free practice in which you 'feel' the asana that you need to do.
In martial arts circles, as with yoga... you are taught repetitious actions. The same thing with dance. You do thousands of the same movements over and over again. You learn how they feel, how your body reacts and moves. You become intimate with those movements.
The idea is that true spontaneity can not be achieved without structure and discipline. When you've practiced and practiced with form for some time, then its possible to let go and open in ways you never have before.
And then you can get in touch with what's appropriate for a given moment in time and space...
Namaste darlin'
Happy Winter Solstice! I like downward facing dog, but I'm not sure if I've ever done upward. Regarless, glad you found your groove.
This made me giggle a bit. Having taught yoga for years I tried, once, to allow my students to do what came to them. They just stood there and stared at me. Glad you found your flow! Sounds like you need to open your heart chakra.
I've heard about these yoga Solstice classes. A friend of mine participated in one out in Arizona and she said the session lasted for hours and hours.
I laughed when picturing you going from up dog to down dog and back again.
Yea, Deep Dog!
Glad you managed to get into the "swing" of things. ;) Best of the holidays to you & yours, however that translates in your ideology!
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