Tuesday, October 30, 2012

"Be in the Now and You'll Know How"

Image via Liz on pinterest
Remember when I told you I was going to start weekly posts featuring each of Baron Baptiste's Eight Principles for stepping up to the edge?  You do?  Then you fail.  You are not in the now, you are in the past!

Kidding.  The old me would say that I am the failure for not holding to my commitment.  But, sometimes life happens and you have to be present and available to other things in the moment.  Plus, I no longer believe in failure anyway -- thank God.  I do believe, however, that you can only begin exactly where you are and today, my loyal followers (I had no idea you existed until last week!), I begin (again) with addressing the principles.  Here goes #2:

Be in the Now and You'll Know How.

No, you are not experiencing déjà vu.  Principle I, "You are either here now or nowhere," has a slightly different twist on the "now" thing.  Yes, you are catching on that the concept of being present is pretty darn important in getting to that edge.  Baron links this "now" principle very closely to the asana (physical) practice and the significance of tuning out distractions to be 100% in-tune with your body's voice.

How can you apply this to your own practice?  Think about a pose that you can't quite get.  Maybe you feel like you are not flexible enough or strong enough or confident enough to fully execute the position.  This leads to frustration.  Which leads to loss of focus.  Which leads to going nowhere.  Better get back here.  Now.

For the longest time the transition from prasarita padottanasana (wide leg forward bend) into sirsasana II (tripod headstand) was a foreign movement to me.  Being blessed with freakishly open hamstrings, my head easily slammed into the ground in the forward fold, setting me up with a solid base upon which to make the transition.  But I would get stuck there with my feet glued to the ground.

About a year ago, I was in a class led by the fabulously funny jokester and CPY teacher Jessica Kenny.  I decided it was sarcasm speaking when she instructed us into that forward fold and let us know that if our heads reached the mat, we had to take tripod headstand.  Good one, Jess.  I'll just effortlessly find the necessary balance and weight distribution upon on my head and two hands then use my core to magically lift my feet from the earth and over my head.  Oh, and I definitely won't fall and hit the person who is six inches away from me or anything.  Then I'll levitate.  No big deal.  The thing is, the transition really was no big deal for me at that point in my practice.  I had the flexibility.  I had the strength.  I had the balance.  What I did not have was the body awareness.  In order to hear my body, I needed my mind to shut up.

I decided that day that I would practice this transition at home after every yoga class.  I highly recommend practicing postures you are determined to master at home!  A few minutes in a class gives you a limited chance to work on the pose.  Especially if you find yourself distracted by defeat, fear, or over-interpretation of instruction.  You have to feel postures in your own body.  In my case, I was also keeping the safety of fellow yogis in mind.

The day that I finally found lift off was the day that I stopped using my brain.  My body was trusting my brain's suggestion that this was impossible.  Already beat after a powerful practice, I re-rolled out my mat in my bedroom, not really feeling like working on anything else at that point, took the forward fold without much thought, set up strong, and felt my feet come off the mat and into a headstand position.  I left it up to my body and my body totally got it -- and it suddenly became effortless and natural.  Now I eagerly await the opportunity in class to go upside down.  Even in the mat-to-mat 5:45pm classes!

In your practice, look at where you need to give your mind a break and let your body do the work.  Don't over-think alignment.  Trust your body on your mat.  Base the growth of your practice on intuition -- you will go where you need to when you are ready.

See you on the mat,

Liz (lizabramsyoga.com)

Thursday, October 4, 2012

"We Are Either Now Here or Nowhere"

Image: via Liz on pinterest
As discussed in my last post, over the next few weeks I will be introducing you to Baron Baptiste's Eight Universal Principles for Stepping Up to The Edge.  Remember, at the edge we build strength and discover serenity.  It's time to get started with Principle I:

We Are Either Now Here or Nowhere.

Have you ever been to a yoga class and heard the teacher speak to being present?  Pretty much every class, right?  It's because it's kind of a big deal.  Is anything happening in the past?  No -- it no longer exists.  Is anything happening in the future?  No -- it doesn't yet exist.  So if you are spending your time in either of those places, nothing is happening.  Other than unwelcome feelings of worry, sadness, depression, regret, anxiety, or loneliness -- all generated by stories that you are making up in your head about what happened or what is going to happen.  Peaceful memories and adventurous goals are great things, but it is only in the present moment that we truly experience growth.  Where we build strength and discover serenity.

Sounds simple.  Just be present.  Easier said than done.  I get it.  We live in a fast paced world filled with constant distraction and stimulation.  It's downright impossible to be present while perusing your facebook newsfeed!  The good news is, you can develop the ability to bring yourself back to the present when your mind starts to drift.  Achieving now here instead of nowhere does take practice, but it is not an impossible feat.

I admit, there are days where as soon as I arrive at my mat, I'm ready to walk out the door.  A couple months ago, I started doing CrossFit and the intensity of the workouts can leave me feeling a little wilted.  To the point where just unrolling my seven pound Manduka mat is a feat.  Before I've even settled into Child's pose, I'm already in the process of psyching myself out, "how am I ever going to make it through 75 minutes of vigorous flow in a 90 degree room when my shoulders are so sore I can barely lift my arms above my head??"

By breathing.  That's how.

Image: via Liz on pinterest
When you focus on nothing but breath, it's downright impossible not to be present.  You may have noticed that every class at CPY starts off with a few minutes in a resting posture where attention to the breath begins.  This is not by accident.  When we start class by honing in on our breathing, we immediately start to shut out the crazy thoughts and stories running through our heads and find our happy place.  Have you ever been boiling-over angry or panic-attack stressed and encouraged by a friend or loved one to "just take a few deep breaths?"  That's good advice.  This simple action calms the nervous system, allowing us to regain composure and get back to the now -- where the magic happens.

Even on my most worn-out days, when I shift my thinking to my breath (instead of the intense burning sensation in my quads, for example), I am able to remain in postures until the teacher guides us out, not just until my brain says "get me out."  Focusing on the breath can take work.  I suggest starting by simply saying in your head "inhale" and "exhale" as you breathe in and out to get into a rhythm of linking movement with breath.  Another great option is to utilize a mantra that you can repeat when your mind starts to get distracted.  I personally like "here" (inhale) "now" (exhale).  This method keeps me from thinking about what is coming next and how tired I am.  Before I know it, I've powered through class and am basking in the glory of both serenity and strength.

As you go about your day or your yoga practice, if you find your mind starts to wander to a far away place, try using your breath as a tool that allows you to enjoy the present.  Hmmm.  It actually is that simple, right?

See you on the mat,

Liz (lizabramsyoga.com)