the warrior that made me feel accomplished

I have experienced another proud moment during one of my more recent yoga classes.

It was in Tara's class, while working on our hamstrings, when I was able to do my first Warrior III.

 

Photo from Yoga Life Journey

It didn't occur to me at that moment but many moments later after class. Holding a Warrior III required a lot of my focus. It also required my faith - belief that my body can hold it and that I can do it. I remember how when I was moving into this pose, I felt scared. I was instructing my body to move into a position it wasn't used to. I was rely only on one leg to hold all of my weight. Briefly I thought of how many things can go wrong. But a voice inside my head reminded me of that which our teachers at Urban Ashram Manila says, that the studio is a safe place. And that thought calmed my mind and allowed me to hold the pose as long as I could.

I liked yoga because it isn't just my mind dictating the practice. It is also my body. Many times during the day, it's my mind that I use. It tells all other parts of me what to do. I don't really listen to my body that much save for the habitual motions required in daily living like eating, peeing, drinking, etc. But when I practice yoga, I dedicate that time to listen to my body. Does it feel good? Is anything hurting? Am I pushing my body too hard? Can my body still take more? I love how my mind and my body work so well together each time I practice yoga. It makes me feel whole and balanced.

Today, I shared my yoga practice with my friend, JR. It was her first time and I was so happy to learn that she enjoyed the hour and 15 minutes she spent on the mat. We worked on a lot of twists today. I appreciated how Margaux instructed me to open my legs wider while on Child's Pose and when I did, I finally felt my tailbone pushing down and the stretch on my spine was just wonderful. I am still working on a better Downward Dog. The last time I attended TS's class, I asked her how I can improve my Downward Dog and she gave me tips. I'm still trying to figure out if I'm doing it better this time while trying to listen to my body each time I move into a Downward Dog. Ah, I love yoga!