Let it Go

after our big sunday running excursion, the hubby and i were feeling pretty tight. i took to my yoga mat and got my stretch on and felt much better after about 30 minutes of hip openers and backbends. hubby was feeling a bit jealous so he actually asked me to show him a pose to help him loosen up his sore legs. i guided him into pigeon and quickly saw resistance in his body. being the awesome wife that i am, i pressed my hands into his lower back to draw him deeper into the pose. his whole body shook, he pushed back against my hands and said "that's it, i'm done!" i thought about his experience for a moment. during yoga classes, i often help guide students deeper into their asana practice with gentle adjustments, but here was a true beginner that was very resistant and not used to moving his body this way. my hubby comes more from the school of "muscle through it" then soften and i realized he's really not the only one. how many times does ego get in the way and we push through a pose that we know is uncomfortable for our bodies or we so desperately try to get into a certain pose that we lose all sense of alignment just for the sake of reaching our hands behind our backs or balancing on our palms?

so this week, i've dedicated all my classes to the intention of surrender. and not the kind of surrender that means just giving up and throwing in the towel.  the surrender that comes with softening the body, accepting the pose and releasing into it with no expectations or force.

here are some of the poses we've focused on during class

high lunge

natarajasana (dancer pose)



plank into chatarunga

vasisthasana (side plank)

eka pada rajakapotasana (1 leg king pigeon)

*we added a forward bend to this

we also did a lot of moving core work and downward dogs.

the entire time, we focused on creating calmness and softness within each asana. we used our breath to guide us deeper into our hip openers, to give us grounding in our balances and strength in our plank work.

when you feel as though you are struggling or muscling through a pose, smile, bring peace to your face and focus on softening throughout your entire body. trust that you will move into the pose without having to push against it.

i try to set intentions at the beginning of each class. so this week we set the intention to surrender. let go. whether its a demanding asana or a fight with a friend or a looming work project, don't worry about forcing a conclusion. trust the process and learn to let go. sometimes letting go is the most powerful thing we can do for ourselves. 

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