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Back to the Mat


Easing Back to the Mat.....

Saying I had to ease back to the mat this week after only being a student for a few months sounds a bit strange until you hear why I was AWOL for over a week. I had the flu. I joked the other day that I would rather have a cold than one of my migraines, and well, I got one heck of a cold and flu. Note to self- be careful what you wish for!

A few sad attempts at working punctuated a week spent taking hot baths, sitting with a heating pad set on hot and lots of sleeping. At least once a day I tried to spend some time on the mat. Poses that stretched the back and shoulders were a great relief for tight, twisted muscles that ached and joints that seemed to crack like brittle wood. Moving, stretching and getting away from the sick bed and sofa for a few moments on the mat where I feel energized and strong helped me feel healthier. Finally, Monday, I made it to a class and it felt wonderful! Felicia reminded me that I only have to do what I can. If it is a short morning routine on the mat at home, sitting on the mat for ten minutes, even thinking about yoga- it is all good. You do what you can.

You do what you can. Why is that such a hard lesson for us to learn? We want to push ourselves. We want to present, with a puffed out chest and slight weary look on our faces, our laundry list of what we accomplished for the day. Why? Yes, there are things that must be done but to what cost do we push ourselves to get it all done plus ten-fold more in one day? I am certain if I listened more to my body and rested earlier in the week the illness would not have lingered so long.

Yoga teaches us to take small breaks in our practice, if even for a moment. We learn to take a deep breath, push ourselves a bit, but not to go to the point of pain. We should carry that forward to the rest of our day.

~ Jenny

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