yoga with kathryn: day three

Today was the last day in a series of workshops led by the fabulous Kathryn Budig at Yoga Pearl. Today's theme was love, and the workshop was appropriately titled 'All Is Full Of Love'. We did a lot of back bends. And I mean a lot. More back bends than I even considered physically possible before today. Three hours is a long time to practice yoga. Three hours of consecutive back bending- wow. I am surely going to be quite sore tomorrow, and probably even the day after that. But I feel amazing! And happy, oh so happy.

I learned so much this whole weekend, but I have to admit that today was my favorite. I love arm balances and inversions, but I love back bends even more because I'm good at them. I've always been a bit more bendy than strong, which is definitely something I've been working to balance out. One of the first things Kathryn had us do with hanumanasana (splits). Three times on each side. Here's the dialogue going on in my head: "Is she kidding? No, apparently she's serious. Okay. Just do it." On the third time, she had us fold forward and kiss our shin. Yikes! I'm so glad I've been spending so much time on this pose in recent months. In fact, as recently as six months ago hanumanasana was not a part of my practice. Why not? Well, because I couldn't do it. And in my own practice, I don't like doing things I can't do. I decided that was a pose I "wanted" one day, so I kept at it. I started incorporating it into my own practice, as well as into the classes that I teach on a daily basis. It wasn't too long before it was mine. You can do this with any pose. If you want it, practice it. But as Kathryn said today, it's like trying to hold a wet bar of soap. The tighter you try to squeeze, the more likely it is to slip out of your grip. "Don't stop wanting it, just stop obsessing over it."

Back bends are challenging for a lot of people because you're opening your throat, heart and hips. We as humans tend to feel very vulnerable when back bending because of this. You have to be very comfortable with yourself in order to practice these intensely open postures, but as Kathryn said today, be yourself. Be comfortable with who you are, and let your light shine. By closing yourself off, you are doing the world a disservice. "Why would you do that? Don't be an asshole. SHINE!" Yes, she said that. And she's absolutely right. This reminds me of a favorite poem of mine by Marianne Williamson. Here it is:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Amazing, right? And totally true. Let your light shine, and let it shine brightly. xoxo-Tami