Trusting in My Yoga

Trusting in my yoga:

so for the longest time the most difficult yoga posture for me was halasana, plough pose, an asana that requires the yogi to gently bring their legs behind head, feet touching floor, while lying on their backs. It's not a complicated posture, a few nuances to master, but fairly straight forward in it's practice. And yet for me it was difficult, my feet simply could not find the floor no matter the effort I put forth. This wasn't due to lack of flexibility, nor any muscle imbalance. I've practiced yoga for decades, all through my life really, and although I'm not a master of advanced postures, I do have a steady, daily practice that has served me quite well. 

the problem, as I discovered, 

was trust. 

my faith was completely in the gravity of the moment, even moving quite slowly I was subconsciously afraid that the weight of my legs would continue in their momentum and carry me all the way backwards, placing undue pressure on my neck. And in fact, on more than one occasion, this actually occurred, only furthering my fear. So I would find myself a few precious inches away from completely finishing the pose, even with firm guidance from better yogi's than myself I was unable to close that gap. 

fear, of course, is a powerful thing.

and it keeps us from trusting in the grace found every moment. 

one day, and not so long ago, my feet still a few precious inches above the floor, a customary position for my halfhearted effort - my feet touched the floor. Just like that. Simple. There was no rush of joy, no elation, or even satisfaction. It felt normal, natural, as if fear just didn't belong there any longer. Here's the thing though, early morning practice, hours away from sunrise and my house is still, quite, my feet hovering above the floor - and a soft whisper arrived urging me to trust. I knew the floor was there readying to greet me, not a shred of doubt present. 

I knew I was supported.

and I was.

this is an easy asana for me now, a continuation from shoulder stand to plough in a complete and lovely display of trust, and grace.. There is no fear. The floor is always present and willing to meet me in the trust of my surrender. I just wasn't ready to let go. Until I was. And now my practice is completely different, a beautiful flow of faith and ease. 

it's early morning now, hours away from sunrise, my house very still, quiet...

a soft whisper arriving, 

trust.

and I find myself smiling, ready for the day. 

all of life is yoga.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from headless Now, please visit: By Grace We Live

Also, please visit to buy: Autobiography of a Yogi

Thank you.