Relaxing, Day 2

Tonight, I practiced Yoga Nidra. I haven't tried Yoga Nidra in a long time, and I think it went pretty well. There was one glaring area of my body that I couldn't relax. My big toe. I find that comical, but it's true.  As my body relaxed, and I felt as if I was sinking down into myself, my big toe seemed to throb even more, and rise away from my body as if to shout, "hello, pay attention to me!"

I guess that means I need to pay attention to my toe! ;) I had surgery at the base of that toe years ago, and it's never been 100% ever since. I'm not sure if it took a certain level of relaxation for me to notice, or if it would have stood out like that tonight no matter what. Either way, I'll be giving it some loving in the form of comfortable shoes tomorrow.

I am continually surprised at the wide range of realizations that come to me during the different types of practices I try.  66 days of yoga has brought me up, down, and all around. And as usual, I am excited to see what comes next!

Namaste

From Anger to Bliss

This evening I could feel anger welling up inside me, and I don't really know where it was coming from. I had no patience, no empathy. Even kittens were annoying me! Kittens!

I thought that it was a good opportunity to try the new Yoga for Stress Relief DVD that arrived yesterday. From the many options, I chose 'Evening Yoga to Quiet the Mind'. It was calming, but I was still not feeling at ease even after 40 minutes, so I added another sequence for quieting the mind that was similar to Yoga Nidra. The DVD guides you through a relaxation exercise that is very detailed and slow.

There is a certain point of relaxation that I actually find uncomfortable. When I did Biofeedback Therapy, I learned that I can relax my muscles beyond the point that most people can, but at a certain point, it begins to feel like a loss of control for me, and conversely, I start to get anxious. With this DVD, I actually got to that point of relaxation again, which is amazing. I've never gotten there without someone else guiding me into it. Because of Biofeedback, I recognize the feelings of unease for what they are, and can slowly take a few mental steps back to my comfort zone, which I did tonight.

Having completed the two sequences, I can't even imagine why I was so angry before. And I really don't even want to think about it! I just want to dwell in this sense of peace I have now, and enjoy it.

Namaste