It’s been a while. I was even a little nervous. What was it going to be like? Was it going to be hard? Was I even going to be able to make it for the entire hour? I have this crick in my neck, my back is stiff, I’m not even sure if my hips remember what it’s like to be open. But I need it, I need it bad.
And so I laid my mat out. I inhaled and told myself that whatever happened, it was going to be exactly what I needed. I set my intention on just observing. I found my way to my childspose and started to lengthen.
I lengthened out of my hips, into my spine and through my shoulders. I worked each vertebral body into alignment from my coccyx through my lumbar, up my thoracic and out my cervical spine. The power of the bone elements ignited as the flexibility of my intervertebral disks expanded. I felt the strength of my practice take hold of my energy as the class began and I started to reconnect with my self, and with my breath. And as I listened to the teacher take over the thoughts in my head and lead me through an exalted and nurturing practice, I recommitted myself to my mat.
Find a comfortable seat. Feel your ass cheeks spread across the surface. Lean forward and back, maybe make some circles with your hips. And then find stillness. Push your butt into the mat and become aware of your core strength. Engage it as you start to stack each vertebra on top of the one below it. Discover how much space you can put between your hips and your ribs. Reach the crown of the head up to the sky. Find space between your shoulders and your ears. And watch your breath.
