reminiscing about my capoeira days of falling and getting back up again
Photo by Joseph Frank on Unsplash
“You were made to soar, to crash to earth, then to rise and soar again.”
Alfred Wainwright
I’ve been wanting to touch on this topic of using yoga sequences to get off the ground. Here’s an old post with what I call a ‘getting-up’ sequence. But before we jump to it, let’s consider getting more into our bodies.
Getting into your body
I’ve written so much on yoga philosophy the past few weeks, it’s time to bring it all down into the body. A couple of weeks ago I posted on the koshas and how they are layers of our being from gross to subtle. Let’s go a little more into that annamaya kosha, the physical aspect of ourselves.
One of the biggest challenges of practicing yoga postures is staying present to what’s going on in your body. How common it is to absentmindedly go through the motions, especially when you practice a set sequence frequently and you get really familiar with it.
You might have heard of the idea of staying embodied in your life and your practice. What does it mean to stay embodied? Here’s a quote from a past pose I wrote that touches on this topic:
“Ironically, the best way to stay embodied in a pose is with our minds: focusing on something concrete can help keep our attention on the physical part of ourselves. For instance, let’s say we’re in child’s pose and our mind keeps wandering to our to-do list. Every time that happens, if you gently bring your attention to the way your forehead rests on the ground (or block, or cushion) or focus on the way that your inhale expands into your back, then you practice staying embodied by using your mental focus.”
So it’s not just that annamaya kosha (physical aspect) of us that is involved, it’s also the manomaya kosha (mental aspect). This is what is meant by the bodymind or what is also called the mind-body connection. This isn’t just a challenge of keeping the body and mind working together, it’s bringing them back together every time your mind gets swept out of the moment.
Staying embodied in yoga practice is a persistent, gentle effort of returning back to your center. Sometimes momming forces you to be in your body (like when you’re breastfeeding or carrying your child) and other times it forces you into your mind (via the countless worries we carry). Being a Yoga Mama is all about bringing body and mind together!
Variety and diversity
During the past 5+ years of writing this newsletter, I have learned so much about the different ways yoga can intersect with our lives as moms. I’ve also encountered so many fantastic, inventive teachers who have shared some vital insights on making yoga applicable to the lives of women and mothers.
One of these teachers is Brea Johnson of Heart and Bones Yoga. One of her principles of creating a sustainable yoga practice is to bring variety and diversity to our movement. The idea is that if we only do the same poses the exact same way, or the same yoga sequences, it can set the stage for injury. Also, adding some variation to your practice is a good way to keep your mind sharp since practicing moving in new ways compels us to pay attention instead of just going through the motions.
We can bring so much variety and diversity into our getting-up sequences. Here’s one example with a pose that might be familiar:
Ways of getting up
About 10 years ago, I started playing capoeira - what an exuberant, fun way to move your body! My teacher used to say that capoeira really just teaches you to fall gracefully and on purpose, which I thought was so profound. Here I was, using yoga practice to improve my posture, which generally meant being more upright and sort of going against the pull of gravity, right?
Honestly, during that year I played capoeira, I not only learned to fall with style, I also built the strength and skill to get back up. What a great skill for anyone, but especially for a parent of small children — early parenting is full of opportunities to get down and back up again! I had this idea years ago of creating simple, fun yoga sequences for getting down onto the ground and for getting back up. I’ve written a few posts on the topic and it never gets old, because it’s such a great way to insert mini yoga sessions into your day.
So, I’ve mentioned how we can use our minds to stay embodied as we move through postures, so let’s do that as we find ways to use yoga to get up off the ground. Staying mentally present as you move will ensure that you avoid injury and it’s also a nice way to say hello to your body, which does so much every day.
Add Brea Johnson’s idea of variety and diversity in movement, and we’ll infuse this practice with a little bit of fun and curiosity. How many ways can we get up off the ground? Let’s find out by trying it!
When and where
You can do this almost anywhere. I’d say, as long as you didn’t just eat a big meal, go for it! Of course, you want to be on a comfortable enough surface, but you don’t need a yoga mat and you can even be wearing shoes (notice I’m even wearing jeans in the videos:). How liberating is that? It’s a truly portable, practical way to do yoga asana.
As for when to do this, you can be spontaneous but I know from experience that it’s pretty tough to just magically remember to do this when you’re down on the ground picking up toys. It’s probably more effective to set an intention, for instance when you wake up or when you brush your teeth, to really commit to it. Say something to yourself like, “When [my kid] is playing on the rug after this morning, I’ll spend ten minutes playing with them before I practice a getting-up yoga sequence.”
Most of all, let yourself play with it. I made up those simple sequences in the video above and you can make up your own! If you’re newer to yoga, it might take some time to build up familiarity with yoga postures before you feel comfortable improvising, but honestly, just the act of getting up off the ground is yoga if you’re moving with awareness and breathing. Let it be simple and make sure it feels good — those or really the only rules I’ll suggest here.
Have fun, and let me know how it goes!
Know someone who would enjoy this post? Do you have a mom friend that needs a little yoga? Feel free to share the love:)