a big stretch and some incredible musicians

image from the Kitchen Yogi http://thekitchenyogi.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/benefits-of-paripurna-navasana-or-boat.html

And all the seated poses.  That is us, this term.  I am challenged.  Highly challenged.  There are some poses which my body allows me to do with ease.  And I know that these same poses are massive challenges for some folk.  But here, with the seated poses, and forward bends with legs straight I am coming up against my own weak spot. I am faced with a mountain.  Or so it seems to me.  Our whole class has been challenged with being able to hold Navasana for 1 minute by the end of the term.  For most of them the challenge is being able to hold it for that long.  I can't even get anywhere near the pose just yet.  I am cursed with the knowledge that I have put Navasana on my wish list.  Like, I wish I could do this pose, one day I will be able to do this pose.  And here it is.  My deadline, the no way out, I have to work hard at it and practice this pose and keep practicing it.  Even though I don't like it, even though the frustration of being so far from it really gets to me.  Even though it is very uncomfortable.

And then there is Pascimottanasana.  Seated forward bend.  Perhaps even more a nemesis.  A pose I hate that I am going to have to learn to love.

Yesterday in class I was getting more and more frustrated by it.  I could feel a strange resistance building up, anger even.  I was getting hot and bothered.  And the talk was all about how it is all in the mind, how if we are unconscious we would be able to be bent into the postures because we would not be resisting.

And then I was asking if I needed to sit on a block or not.  (If you are tight in the hamstrings, you need to sit on a block to do the pose) so I got the attention of our tutor, who looked at my pose, yes I needed a block, and I needed support under my knees and then he decided to adjust me in the pose, which is where the teacher physically helps you further into the pose.  It was very intense.  In a way I felt my body was screaming, I wasnt in pain as such, but it was a big stretch, huge.  I found myself getting really upset, and wanted to come out, and asked to come out, and he said, no you are fine, breath, breath into it.  And I just burst into sobs and sobs.  I had heard about this sort of thing happening in yoga.  I have never seen it, much less experienced it.  I  had been convinced I could not bend further, but I could, and I had come up against a massive resistance and it was emotional.  I still feel a bit shaken.  I must say I hope that this will help in general in these seated poses.  I guess I am going to need to change my attitude to them all.  I cannot as yet see the point at which I will enjoy them.  But I can see that here, in this term I have some very juicy stuff to work with.  Proper challenges.  Fear facing stuff.  Resisitance breaking, new attitude forming, uncomfortable, hard work.  Wish my luck!

On a lighter note, we went to see Sarah Jarosz perform last night.  She was on stage with two other incredible musicians Nathaniel Smith and Alex Hargreaves.  All of them look about 12.  ( think they are about 20 in real life) They were absolutely incredible.  The kind of briliance that is entrancing and mesmerising and transporting.  Cant recommend them more highly.