… you need the most!
I am sure everyone of you has a posture they don´t really like. One that bothers you, that – if you could – you would skip every time. You dread it coming up during the series and are happy once it is over. But don´t be tempted to skip it. You need it. Whether it is physically challenging or mentally; work on it. And if it is only a few seconds that you are in the posture; if you try it the right way, you receive all the benefits. The next time it will be half a second more and more and so on. And you can be proud of yourself to have tried it and stood up to it. Your inner “Schweinehund” has NOT succeeded (there is no translation – pigdog would be litterally translated – for that one but think of it as the little devil sitting on your shoulder, telling you: Nah, you don´t want to do it. It is OK, you deserve a break, don´t bother trying, you already worked so hard, rest now, give up, you can´t do it anyway.) Don´t listen to him. You are in charge. If you decide to do it, you can. Send him back to wherever he came from.
For me that posture used to be Full Locust Pose. I dreaded this one. So exhausting to lift up like a 747 – mind you, without the engines! And then hold it there. Are you kidding me? And how do I breathe? But nowadays I love this posture. So it changes over the course of time. I didn´t particularly like Triangle for a long time. I didn´t have the strength in the legs and it killed me every time. I was sitting out a few of them but always tried to do at least one set. It is OK to take a break once in a while, if you are sure you need it and it is not just an excuse. But always try to do one set of each posture. Don´t let it become a habit to take a break at the same time. It is hard to get rid of it again. As with all habits. If you grab the same elbow every time, mix it up a bit. Break the habits. Change the fingers. If you always drink after a certain posture, try to drink after the next one or skip it completely. Set new goals and push yourself a little bit further. You will be surprised where you can go with little steps. It might take a while, but you will get there. If you adjust your clothes, towel or wipe your sweat frequently, try to withstand the desire to do so. Let the sweat run. You can notice it, but you don´t need to react to it. What will happen, if I let it run? Even if your towel is crooked and folded, you can stand on it and do the posture. Don´t let the little things distract you. It is all in your mind and if you don´t mind, it doesn´t matter.
At the moment, I don´t really like Locust Pose. There is something about lying on your elbows, pressing your fingers into the floor and lifting your legs up that is not appealing to me. But it is getting better and every time I do it instead of taking a break here, I am absolutely proud of myself. And it feels like slowly the legs are coming up higher. It might just be my imagination but hey, if so, why not?
So try to actually pay special attention to the posture you dread the most. Read about it, ask about it, try to do every little detail, listen more carefully and set it up right. Then give it a try and go for it. You have nothing to lose and all to win. There is nothing like the feeling of having conquered new territory. Make it YOUR posture.
Yoga Animals 