Good old Sri. K Pattabhi Jois, the founder of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, quoted the above title. While there are various interpretations of the quote, yesterday in Ashtanga it immediately came to mind while basically suffering through a forward folding assist from Josh. Resisting the assist as best I could, Josh stayed patient with me, and each breath, my body flourished into a deeper expression. But, with every breath, and with each inch my body unfolded I still was resisting, protecting, and wanting with all my might to avoid feeling sensation.
After Josh walked away, I ran through a mental checklist trying to rule out or reason with why I was so averse to receiving help today. ' Hmm? I know for certain this wasn't a trust issue at all, I always look forward to Josh approaching my practice, and allowing me to feel my heart crack open, if you will, when he guides me to my edge. Even though I worked out Tuesday, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary that made me sore or extra tight, so that's not it?.." I ruled out lots of excuses, and the reason the quote came to mind is because of an event that happened the night prior. I was in full on "protective," mode after some unfathomable news that was hard to swallow. I'm fairly certain, due to my feelings around this news, I was angry and closed off, and my body reacted to that, responded to that, verse my body responding to my breath, that I'm typically more focused on.
Could it be true? Um, yes. The other day in class Amy reported the Nervous Systems of the body respond to the BREATH and not the other way around. We all know how good it feels when we take a long, deep, even inhale and exhale, and it's because of that reason. The body and mind respond to our BREATH and not the other way around. We will never be comfortable all the time, life would be super boring if that was the case, but adhering to breath work and making it the first "go-to," allows the body and mind to settle into discomfort or whatever the sensation is. And just like the 5 breaths in the forward fold, the pose with the assist, ended. And the more I breathed there, with Josh, the more my body dropped the shield of protection and my spine lengthened.
So this is my logic:
Thoughts ruminating ---- > shallow, uneven breath ----- > felt like bag of rocks in Ashtanga.
AKA ... Miind stiff leads to body stiff, but BREATH can help.
So with that said, unless you're reading this while driving, which shame on you, soften your shoulders, relax the jaw, widen the space between the eyebrows and take a long, SLOW, inhale through your nose, up into your chest, and then slow, long, exhale. And then do that again.
We've got this. Love you, LP.
