This week’s blog entry was written by guest author Claire Ricci. Claire is a graduate of Whole Life Yoga’s teacher training program. She can be contacted at Cl****@*********ci.com.

For years I lived with the tyranny of the yoga pose. I tried hard to make mine look the way my teacher’s did; the way I thought it “should” look.  I had marginal success, was set back by injury, generally felt pretty small, and like I would always be a beginner.

I stumbled into Viniyoga, which holds that the pose should meet the student, rather than the student meeting the pose. This changed everything.

When I tried to meet the pose where it was I felt inadequate. The pose was right, I was wrong. The tightness of my hamstrings or the length of my arms was irrelevant. My energetic condition of no interest. To be “good” at yoga meant serving the pose.

Meeting the pose where I was meant the pose served me.  My physical, mental, and emotional state mattered, so every practice mattered. I no longer had to struggle or be “propped” into position.  This shift in perspective caused a revolution. Like a well-planted tree growing from its roots, I expanded.

There is true beauty in allowing yourself to be exactly where you are, and striking out from there. It makes each practice a bit of an adventure as you discover what it has for you today, this one special day. Truthfully, this is the only real place we can start; no matter what we tell ourselves, or how hard we work we just can’t leap from a place we’re not standing. Missing that is what led me to perpetual beginner-hood.

I’ve had the honor of working with students facing challenges that made them doubt they would be “good” at yoga. Some expected to hate it. I get this. Who wants to return to a practice that feels like it doesn’t quite fit, or worse that you don’t?

It’s exciting and incredibly rewarding to see how fast these students progress as they shift away from the limitations they hold for themselves. Once you release the notion that you need to fit the practice and allow your practice to fit you, it becomes a whole new ball game. Struggle evaporates when you become aligned with yourself and stop pursuing the perfect posture. This is the payoff.

Now here’s the even bigger news: What happens in yoga happens in life. What we learn on the mat walks with us right into our daily lives.

Meeting ourselves in yoga is the path for meeting ourselves in all aspects of our lives. Being aligned with ourselves can become a way of being, allowing us to root and expand, transforming our work, our family lives and how we meet the world.

This is a giant gift to ourselves, and to those we encourage to meet themselves where they are whatever the context.

The next time you find yourself on your mat take a minute to greet yourself and ask, what can I do for you? This may be the most important question of your day.

Claire Ricci

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle!

This week’s blog entry was written by guest author Jeanne Startzman. Jeanne is a Whole Life Yoga graduate and certified yoga instructor who teaches Breath-Centered Yoga Basics in downtown Edmonds each Thursday evening. Jeanne can be contacted at yo********@*****il.com and www.yogaspringyoga.com

We all want to maintain our ability to enjoy an active lifestyle–to get in and out of a car with ease, bend over to pick-up something, sit on the floor and play with our dog, or climb up-and-down stairs without pain. Simple things, yet each add richness to our quality of life.

Once we reach a certain age, however, many of us begin to limit our body positions to standing up, lying down, and sitting in a chair. And over time, that lack of movement begins to erode flexibility, mobility, stamina, and our overall health.

Consider the Tin Man. With his joints rusted motionless, he was unable to move until Dorothy came along and used his oil can to release him. If Dorothy had known–and in the context of a yoga practice–consistent, gentle movement of his joints would have brought about the same welcome release.

I have watched yoga students as young as their 40s struggle with beginning, basic postures. Not because of any specific physical issues, but due simply to years of moving within a very limited range of motion.

And depending on the pose, yoga can look easier than it is. Some new students come to class completely unaware that their body is less strong and less limber than even a few years earlier. I can read the surprise and discouragement on their faces when they struggle to bend laterally or exhale into a deep forward bend. As a result, some decide they can’t do yoga and unfortunately, don’t return.

A person who decides to start running doesn’t register for a marathon their first day out. A budding photographer realizes that learning the mechanics of her camera is the first step toward capturing beautiful shots.

And so it is with yoga. It is an unfolding process; we start where we are with mindful breath and basic movement, and within a short time of beginning a consistent practice, we feel our bodies begin to soften and respond. Our very first yoga class leaves us with a greater sense of calm and peace.

If you’ve been thinking about doing yoga, it’s never too late to start. But why not make it a priority now? Think about how you want your body to move and the activities you want to continue into your 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond. Yoga is designed to be a lifelong practice. Poses are modified to integrate the changes in your body as the years progress. Yet at the same time, your yoga practice will allow you to keep moving, whether it’s mowing your lawn, skiing, or keeping the beat playing an 18-pound bass during a four-hour Blues performance.

Jim Brandt, 62, practices yoga, commutes 25 miles round trip to work on his bicycle, runs with Run Seattle for Life, babysits two young granddaughters, and is bass guitarist for the Curtis Hammond Band.

Jeanne

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