I have done weight training on Wednesdays for years and I wonder today how that will affect my practice. In fact, after weights today I play tennis with a friend and because it is hot I sweat a lot and I think maybe I won’t sweat so much during my practice. (huh! I will learn later what a silly thought indeed!) By the time 7 PM rolls around I‘m thinking today would definitely be another day that I would blow off my yoga class if it were not for my 30-day challenge. My calves are tight and I tell myself at the beginning of class that I will just take it easy and accept my body for where it happens to be today.
My hands meet on the right side in Eagle again today and I feel the twist working its way through my shoulders, my elbows, my wrists, my hands, and my fingers. It’s amazing how many joints this postures awakens. As I make my way through the standing series, I am painfully aware of the fact that my calves do not seem to be relaxing even in the heat of the room. I am often bothered by slight cramps in my feet, especially following locust pose (single and double leg lifts). However, they subside with stretching in the opposite direction after I release the posture. My calves however are just sore. So when I get to toe stand today, I tell myself that I will just bend over and get the floor and just stay there and let the stretch soothe my calves a bit. Ha! Then I hear Anita’s voice from somewhere urging me on. (How can she be so sweet and such a task master at the same time?) Down I go and glad for it. What a fine line “our edge” is. It’s unquestionably worth trying--when you think you are at your edge, when you think that's all the further you can bend, when you think you can’t hold a posture any more--just try a little bit more, 5 more seconds, or one more breath. You will amaze yourself. You are capable of so much more.
