Yoga for Patience
I find that the more expectations I have around a certain thing or, in this case, a certain day, the more likely it is that the universe will contrive some way to kill those expectations. With a lightning bolt.
Last night, Chris set off to get secret birthday dinner supplies and make one of his lovely (although sometimes extravagant) meals. I told him to surprise me, but had all sorts of glamorous ideas about what I might be putting in my mouth.
Instead, Chris arrives back about 30 minutes later, announcing that, by accident, he may have driven over some train tracks instead of the road in some car-breakingly awkward way. And now the car is making a terrible noise. And it's getting worse. As it was pouring rain and dark as anything, we couldn't check out the cause of the noise, but by Chris' estimation, it was probably a broken axle. Needlessly to say, neither of us were in extravagant dinner mode.
Birthday dinner was a bowl of cereal, followed by a bowl of popcorn.
Seriously.
Of course, in the morning (after a night of being sad and stressed about expensive car parts) we wake up to find the back tire is flat. I feel like if I had saved my stress for what actually was a problem as opposed to what we thought might be a problem that might be a better idea. Or maybe not stressing at all about things as stupid as a broken car.
Last night, Chris set off to get secret birthday dinner supplies and make one of his lovely (although sometimes extravagant) meals. I told him to surprise me, but had all sorts of glamorous ideas about what I might be putting in my mouth.
Instead, Chris arrives back about 30 minutes later, announcing that, by accident, he may have driven over some train tracks instead of the road in some car-breakingly awkward way. And now the car is making a terrible noise. And it's getting worse. As it was pouring rain and dark as anything, we couldn't check out the cause of the noise, but by Chris' estimation, it was probably a broken axle. Needlessly to say, neither of us were in extravagant dinner mode.
Birthday dinner was a bowl of cereal, followed by a bowl of popcorn.
Seriously.
Of course, in the morning (after a night of being sad and stressed about expensive car parts) we wake up to find the back tire is flat. I feel like if I had saved my stress for what actually was a problem as opposed to what we thought might be a problem that might be a better idea. Or maybe not stressing at all about things as stupid as a broken car.
Yoga for Patience
Either way, it's probably a better idea to allow for all possibilities at any time, make no assumptions about how days will turn out, and set aside vast quantities of patience for when everything, in fact, never goes according to plan. Whose plan is it, anyway? This practice is slow, with long holds. Don't think about what is coming next. Be patient and exist in the beautiful, unpredictable moment.
- Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
- Nadi Shodna (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
- Anuloma Viloma (Alternate Nostril with Breath Retention)
- Seated Sun Breaths (12x)
- Cat/cow in table
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog). Hold for 5-10 breaths, warming up the body
- Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Hold for 1-2 minutes, noticing the play of balance in the feet and movement in the body
- Kripalu Ardha Chandrasana (Kripalu Style Half Moon Pose). Repeat on both side
- Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Arm Pose)
- Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold Pose). Hold for 2-3 minute
- Roll up very slowly. Note: Do not roll up if you have back problems or osteoporosis, just come up slowly hinging from the waist
- Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Supta Kapotanasna (Reclined Pigeon's Pose). Hold for 2-3 minutes (use props if needed or desired)
- Repeat steps 12 and 13
- Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Malasana (Garland Pose)
- Bharadvajasana (Bharadvaja's Twist). Repeat other side
- Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose). Hold for 1-3 minutes
- Savasana
