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OPEN MIND OPEN BODY Ideas for Your Yoga Practice |
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Exhaust
Yourself I
know what you’re thinking: Exhaust myself? I’m already exhausted! That’s why I practice yoga!
After a hard day, all you want is a good bolster, your aromatherapy
candle burning, and a little Deva Premal on the stereo. Or perhaps you
feel plenty exhausted at the end of your two-hour Power Yoga practice –
so exhausted that you sleep right through the sound of your yoga
instructor talking the class out of savasana. You
may think you know what exhaustion feels like, but have you ever closely
examined that curious blend of muscular and mental exhaustion that makes
you finally rest from a challenging pose? It’s usually not the pure
sensation of acute muscular exhaustion that says, “Enough of
downward facing dog! My arms are going to fall off!” Often the tipping
point is the mental exhaustion that presents itself as boredom in a pose
that you are fully capable of staying in. Choose
a pose that is easy to get into, but becomes challenging over time. Assume
the pose, breathe, and wait. What comes first – the boredom or the
muscular fatigue? What prompts you to come out of the pose? Do you hold
the pose until you literally fall out of it? If so, can you become aware
of the sensations that precede total exhaustion, and rest before
you reach collapse? Or do you come out of the pose just because it no
longer interests you? If so, stay interested in the fact that nothing much
is changing in your experience of the pose. Isn’t that fascinating in
and of itself? How long do you think it will last? How will you know if
you stop early? Stay
in the pose as long as you can continue to breathe smoothly and deeply,
and as long as your physical discomfort is more the ache of effort than
the sharp pain of impending injury. Can’t tell the difference? As you
fatigue your muscles, the sensation should grow stronger but not change
much in quality; the sensation is often described as a slow burn that
increases in intensity over time. In
this practice, do not watch the clock. Do not count your breath. Practice
alone, so that you cannot compare your time in the pose to another
person’s. Remove all external influences on your decision to stay in the
pose or rest. Attend to the internal sensations and the thoughts that go
through your mind. Rest when you truly feel that you cannot stay in the
pose with a calm mind, a smooth breath, and some degree of comfort. Stay
until the pose feels all sthira and no sukha. This
practice offers a way to explore the relationship between psychological
patience and muscular endurance. It also can sensitize you to the role of
effort, ambition, and competition in your practice. And, when you’re
done with the practice, feel free to pull out that bolster and turn down
the lights. I promise not to wake you up from a well-deserved savasana. Return to Ideas for Your Yoga Practice
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