The Mat is Calling

Today has been productive. A few things happened that upset me, but I was busy all day, and didn't think about them. When I finally settled into my big comfy chair to relax, my mind immediately went to the things that had bothered me earlier, and I knew no good would come of it. And then I heard my yoga mat, like it was calling my name.

I had a little resistance at first. I wanted to relax in my chair, and watch tv. But I couldn't quiet my mind, and somewhere in me, something was telling me to go do yoga. I've been reading about resistance in Mediations, so I asked myself why I was feeling it right then. Answer: laziness. I wanted to be lazy. But lazy wasn't going to help me. So I tossed the resistance aside, and hit the mat.

I practiced super slow, focusing on each little muscle group as much as I could, and on breathing. I threw myself completely into my practice. I couldn't let my irritable feelings go sitting in my chair, but I knew I would be able to on my mat - especially if I really focused on the poses to keep my mind from wandering. I think that's what people mean when they say 'moving meditation'.

Rocking from seated forward bend all the way back to plow over and over again, I imagined that I was pushing the tension out of my back, down my legs, and right out of my body. And in tree, I imagined myself to be as centered as a tall oak tree, rooted to the earth but always growing upwards. Of course I did other poses, but these poses were where I really hit my groove, and felt a huge benefit.

It's amazing how something that's irritating can turn into something positive with the right frame of mind and a little bit of action!

Namaste