Wiggle Room on the Full Moon
Wiggle Room on the Full Moon
bending the rules of alignment
A flashback to me 16 years ago, when I was hyper-focused on traditional alignment
“I don’t think outside the box. I think of what I can do with the box.”
-Henri Matisse
“Instead of thinking outside the box, get rid of the box.”
-Deepak Chopra
Beyond alignment
Once, when I worked as a massage therapist in my twenties, one of my clients referred to me as ‘the mechanic.’ He was referring to how I was able to work on bodies with some functional knowledge of how the different muscle groups coordinated with and affected one another. I took it as a compliment.
Now I’m in my forties, managing ‘the juggle’ as is often said in reference to motherhood, and I feel a sort of freedom to think beyond the confines of physical alignment. First, my body is not the same as it was pre-kids and it will never be exactly the same as it was. This isn’t a bad thing, but it does call for a different relationship to ourselves.
I’m not saying that there’s no need for specific alignment in yoga poses; balanced alignment can be essential to engaging the muscles properly and protecting yourself from injury. But there’s more you can do beyond those strict instructions of where to place your foot, whether or not to straighten or bend your knees, which way to direct your gaze, and other such particulars.
Some of my favorite movements and stretches resemble traditional yoga postures, but they offer more freedom in position. Other physical practices I love might look nothing like traditional yoga postures and sequences, but if done with a focus and intention, can serve as true yoga.
Here are a few ideas in that vein!
A recipe for release
3 slow, deep breaths
20 seconds of shaking it out
Movement in all 3 planes (frontal, sagittal, transverse)
A few neck and shoulder circles
A sigh or an om
Practice some or all of the above, with full attention and in an attitude of fun and love, not necessarily in that order. Number three is where we’d find yoga postures, stretches, movements, and exercise. What we do with number three will depend on our energy levels and our current physical needs (are we postpartum? Pregnant? Feeling fit? Not feeling fit? Injured?). I’ll provide a monthly focus on postures and movement starting next month and throughout the Fall.
Here are a couple of past posts to inspire number two and four: shaking it out and round movements in the body. Also, as some additional guidance for numbers one and five, here’s a post on creative ways to exhale with sound.
And now, if you only have a moment, choose one of the above and devote your mind and body to it completely, even if it lasts for just twenty seconds. Do this once a day; the trick is to remember!
“In stages, the impossible becomes possible.”
-T.K.V. Desikachar
Recipe for reinforcement
Stay grounded through the feet and legs
Keep the breath steady
Keep in mind an image, mantra, or affirmation as you practice
Practice daily
I used to think that yoga was mostly about releasing, letting go of tension, and trying to get as relaxed as possible. But, through experience and education on the matter, I found that there were lots of healthy, balanced ways to stimulate the nervous system. After all, we don’t want to just push ourselves to maximum relaxation or we’d never get anything done!
This can be really simple. I used to love running and biking, and those were ways that I reinforced my strength and lung capacity. Aside from those two forms of exercise, yoga offers some other ways to get the heart rate up and expand your breath and you don’t necessarily have to break a sweat (unless you want to). Recently I wrote about Surya Namaskar, a.k.a. sun salutations, but I also love the lesser known Chandra Namaskar (moon salutations). Here’s a past post on that.
Number one (above) engages you physically, number two integrates your practice on a physical and mental level, and number three keeps your mind engaged on the intention and focus of your practice. It can be a very personal part of your practice, where you have a mantra or image or affirmation that rings true for you, but might not have as much impact for me. We’ll get into this more in the Fall, but for now think (or journal) about what types of mental focus keep you centered as you practice.
Finally, number four is both the easiest and hardest. On one level, the only thing you have to do is just practice no matter what. It’s not a competition, a show, or even a prescribed set of postures, but it can also be challenging to let go of perfectionism or doubt! And on another level, it’s the hardest part of the practice because sometimes we just forget, or assume we don’t have time. But everyone has a couple of minutes a day for practice. This is part of thinking outside the box (or getting rid of it, as Mr. Chopra says!): yoga practice can be varying lengths and/or unconventional poses and sequences. It all depends on what suits your body and lifestyle.
What’s in store
In the last post I mentioned that I would give a sneak peek of the offering here for the Fall. I’m not a great planner, which has made for much spontaneous adventure in my life! But I know that looking ahead can be so helpful and as I plan to turn paid subscriptions back on, there will be something for everyone, free or paid!
For now, I’ll just say that every month there will be the following:
A pose focus: specific instruction on a chosen yoga pose, some variation and modifications of that pose to make it accessible to all/most people, and some ways to incorporate that pose into movements or sequences.
One restorative yoga practice: I am just wrapping up a restorative yoga training and am excited to offer this for you to add to your practice!
A kids’ yoga practice: this is for those who want to share yoga with their little ones, or for mamas who want a young-at-heart activity to add to their practice:)
Seasonal reflection: my own poetic interpretation of how yoga practice can change and flow according to the seasons (do I have any Southern Hemisphere Mamas here? Or Mamas that don’t live in a place with four seasons? Let me know!)
In general, since I began writing this newsletter, it has been so much about thinking outside the box. When I became a mom in 2016, I quickly realized my yoga practice would have to change, and thus, Urban Yoga Mama was born!
I hope you’ll step outside the lines with me to connect with your own body and intuition so that we can co-create a yoga practice that serves the needs of moms at all stages of motherhood and life! Jai Ma!
(I meant to post this yesterday on the Full Moon, hence the title. But I believe the moon is considered to be full for a few days, right??)