Failure
Sorry I skipped a day, folks. As warned, my travels caught up with me, and I didn't have time to put something down. As it is, my plane boards in, oh, 10 minutes, so if this one has typos, my deepest apologies.
Someone once told me, and for anything I can't remember who, that balance poses give one of life's only opportunities for adults to fail in public without reprocussions or shame. Fall over, "fail" at balancing, and it is okay. I have also heard that as long as you maintain your dristhi (or focal point) you remain balanced. This is a call to not be so serious during balancing poses. The heaviness you feel may ground you, but without light and lightness the pose may never feel joyful.
If you need to, redefine "failure." See falling as opening your heart to those in the room; you are human, not weak or less than. If you come into balance in a pose as rote or routine, experience it differently. See falling as a fun and exciting new way to experience gravity. Huzzah!
Someone once told me, and for anything I can't remember who, that balance poses give one of life's only opportunities for adults to fail in public without reprocussions or shame. Fall over, "fail" at balancing, and it is okay. I have also heard that as long as you maintain your dristhi (or focal point) you remain balanced. This is a call to not be so serious during balancing poses. The heaviness you feel may ground you, but without light and lightness the pose may never feel joyful.
If you need to, redefine "failure." See falling as opening your heart to those in the room; you are human, not weak or less than. If you come into balance in a pose as rote or routine, experience it differently. See falling as a fun and exciting new way to experience gravity. Huzzah!
- Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
- Uttana Shishosana (Extended Puppy Pose)
- Thread the needle by threading one arm under the other on the ground and twisting in puppy. Let the head rest on the ground.
- Table
- Bend one leg at the knee, lifting demi-toed foot towards ceiling (should feel this in glutes). Repeat other side
- Lift the opposite arm and leg to balance. Repeat other side
- Garbasana (Child's Pose)
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
- Bend and straighten knees (singularly and in tandem)
- Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold)
- Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
- 5 sun salutations, personal choice
- Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)
- Parvottanasana (Intense Stretch Pose)
- Trikonosana
- Utthita Tadasana (Five Pointed Star)
- Repeat steps 13-16 other side
- Virabhadrasana I
- Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle)
- Utthita Tadasana
- Repeat steps 18-20 on other side
- Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
- Grab big toe in yogi toe lock (pointer and middle finger around toe), straighten leg out to side, look in opposite direction
- Bring straight leg out in front
- Bring torso towards legs
- Tadasana
- Repeat steps 22-26 other side
- Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
- Either repeat Bridge three times, or Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose)
- Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold)
- Janu Sirsasana (Seated Head to Knee Pose). Repeat other side
- Marichyasana (Marichi's Twist). Repeat other side
- Savasana