Opening to a New Healing

Open to a new healing: 

it has a long title, both English as well as Sanskrit, wide legged forward bend is rather unwieldy but most definitely gets the point across while prasarita  padottanasna is more poetic in its rendering. By either name it has become a most beneficial pose for me, another one that has been glossed over before yet now emerges into a new light since a back injury has caused me to reexamine my practice. 

prasarita padottanasna is a lengthening pose, stretching the back, inner thighs and hamstrings as well as opening the hips, and as the head is below it's an inversion pose as well, offering many of the same benefits holding a headstand without any strain on neck or need of balancing. This is a forward bend that doesn't seem to stress my injured area much at all and has promoted blood flow to the area. I feel grateful to these asanas that have gained a new place within my practice, no longer being mere poses. I'm rediscovering the energetic essence of these asanas and prasarita padottanasana promotes a deeply calming sense of emotional and physical healing to me right now.

in so many ways my injured back has been a blessing, not one I would have chosen of course, but it has reawakened my practice in some very important areas. Every posture is examined as to how it will heal me, and in this way I need to view them all dispassionately, able to place favored poses aside and introduce one that may have been previously ignored. 

nothing is allowed to serve the ego any longer,

as I'm only seeking to be healed.

and what's discovered is how deeply wounded I am, not so much physically, but that years of practice may have actually glossed over emotional pain through my satisfaction of being able to hold pose. I built an entire practice on avoiding the most challenging asanas -

the ones that provide me so little room to hide.

in this light,

and through every pose...

I am now open to a new healing. 

~

Peace, 

Eric 

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