Day Sixteen

Yesterday we spent the morning and part of the afternoon doing posture clinics which included downward facing dog or adho mukha svanasana...or down dog, for short :) When I first started doing yoga, I thought down dog was one of the most challenging poses. It was very difficult for me to hold for even a few seconds. Eventually I found it much easier and could hold the posture long enough for my instructor to make the proper adjustments. Then it was difficult again. And so the cycle continued until my instructors were no longer making adjustments. Then I arrived here. Down dog was really one of the postures I thought I had mastered, but as it turns out, not quite yet. I'm close though! My heels may never touch the ground but that may be a result of my skeletal anatomy. Or it could be a result of my running so it may just take longer to get to the ground; either way, it's okay. One of the great things about this program is the degree to which I'm learning all the intricacies of the practice, the philosophy, and the human anatomy.

Our final clinic of the afternoon was on relaxation. Can I truly express to you how absolutely fabulous this was? For our Practice Teach Two, we'll have about four minutes to guide the students through relaxation during savasana and I'm so looking forward to it. Depending on our guest instructor (during our sadhanas), we will occasionally have an extended savasana (anywhere from 15-20 minutes), which is especially luxurious. One of the best gifts I have received from practicing yoga is the ability to allow my body to completely relax yet my mind remain fully present (also relaxed). This is one of the many gifts I hope to share with my students. Namaste, my friends :)