Stop the Struggle
The class I took with Ana Forrest was called "Forrest Yoga Without Struggle," which sounds like an oxymoron to anyone who's taken Forrest Yoga before.
Ana's style of yoga is a struggle for even the most athletic, seasoned yogi. On my third day of strenuous yoga, I knew it would be a struggle, even if the class description said it would help me free myself from "breathlessness, struggle, and panic." Just to make things more interesting, I think Ana "Abs" Forrest pulled out all of her most breathless, panic-inducing tricks to teach us to breath into poses and relax.
I like to practice Vinyasa yoga as much as possible. So I tend to be really fidgety when teachers invite me to hold poses for any amount of time. I don't enjoy the way it feels to stay in Warrior II, so without really thinking, I brush the hair out of my face or re-adjust my foot placement 16 times. I do whatever I have to to try to make the time that I'm uncomfortable pass so that I can move on to the next pose. I realize this is not one of my better habits so it's good that there are classes like this one to help me realize how important it is to be patient and breath when things get hard.
I got lots of practice being patient in this workshop. I tried to push myself when I felt like giving up, and I realized that when I stopped thinking about the discomfort and focused on the sound of my breath things got a lot easier and I could hold difficult poses for much longer. I really could let go of my struggle, stop fidgeting, and enjoy the sensations.
Comments
If you are unable to hold poses for any length of time, it must be very difficult for you to experience calmness and serenity. Try meditating and sitting as still as possible for 3-5 minutes, do this until you settle into it. Practice sitting quietly daily. The most helpful thing for you might be to work on holding poses a VERY long time, until you become the pose.
Posted by: Jamie Chandler | April 11, 2006 12:59 AM