Parivrtta Parsvakonasana Pain and Gain

Before I opened my Yoga studio I knew I needed to learn Ashtanga Yoga.

I wanted to be able to scratch my right ear with my left toe or at least find out why I couldn’t.

So in addition to my home base Yoganga Yoga© training and a Kids Yoga course, I started a two year Ashtanga teacher’s course where I am learning alot. Now In my second year, crazy asanas are less important but I enjoy the journey towards them.

At least till last week, when during a blindfolded Ashtanga class (to have a richer connection to the practice - the Universe and her sense of humor…) I overstretched something during a deep twist. Do you think I immediately stopped and listened? Of course not! Somehow the words ‘Just continue it will disappear’, seemed to make more sense to me.

The day went on and on with a bit of pain, the kids and their after school activities and a bit more pain, dinner and laundry and on and on like some days do. Until eventually I knew I had to cancel all of my classes for the next day…

One of the quotes I use in my classes is: ‘If you listen to your body closely it should not have to shout at you now and then’. Well, my body was shouting and I had no other choice then to listen. I felt extremely stupid. How did I get here? What was I doing overdoing ? Am I even ego driven while blindfolded? However, I did take care of myself, I rested and instead of going for X-rays as suggested by the Orthopedist I decided to have a massage from Iris Cohen who uses fairy dust with her magic hands.

After this ‘private lesson of the Universe’ I know this:

My body wouldn’t have healed so fast if I didn’t practice yoga regularly, so thanks for that.

I will come back to my practice more mature, work from a place of compassion and not achievement and from the quiet centre of my body first.

This also made me sit and observe my students and teaching the class by verbal instruction only, is a whole different way of teaching and very important to do at times. I had time to admire all of the different anatomies of my students. Becoming a better teacher every day is of high priority to me. By verbal teaching only, instead of ‘describing the view’ I had to be careful to not overload my students with language.

This was a humbling experience and it was also funny; the frustration, the pain and the stupidity of it asked for patience, tolerance and a deepening of my practice and with it, I hope a deepening of my practice as a teacher for my students.