Going To The Edge

We all have limits. The question is, do you know when you've pushed beyond yours? My thought of the week is just about that: finding the edge but not diving over it.



When I was a kid, I used to walk right up to the edge of cliffs and lookouts, particularly when we'd be on a family camping trip to a State or National Park. I had this curiosity about what it would be like to "fly" over the edge. It was common for my Mother's hand to be gripping the waist band of my shorts just in case I actually thought I could fly. I loved stepping up to the edge. It wasn't until I went bungy jumping off a bridge in New Zealand that my curiosity was satiated; it didn't feel exactly like the soaring feeling I thought it would offer. It felt like falling...really fast.



We all have our boundaries but unless we have awareness, we often don't know where that border begins and ends. In our physical practice of yoga our edge is the place where we can maintain steadiness of breath, move freely without pain and feel the effects of the pose. If we press beyond our edge, we often face discomfort, hold our breath, feel pain and increase our chance of hurting ourselves. Conidering that yoga is a way to deepen our connection through our physical experience, if we hurt ourselves, we hit a roadblock in that process.



Our edge can shift, often quickly. We may begin our practice feeling sluggish and unmotivated, but as we begin to couple our breath to our body, bring heat into our tissues and reach out of our daily habitual postures, we may find that our edge expands and begins to open. The opposite is also true. We may arrive on the mat full of great intentions for an ambitious session and realize that once we begin, we need to back off and go easier than we had originally planned.



The changes of how we feel move not only throughout our practice but from day to day, week to week and year to year. It's a great disservice to ourselves to hit autopilot and go through the motions. Our lives ebb and flow...things are constantly shifting and our experience varies. It is through paying attention to how this shift is taking place that deepens our practice. When we listen to what our being is telling us from a deeper place, we set foot on the path of transformation.



And only YOU can determine your edge. No yoga instructor has the ability to tell you how hard you should or shouldn't be pushing. Nobody knows your body better than you. Nobody. So get to know yourself a little better by listening to all the cues it's sending you.



Get curious...step up to your edge without pushing beyond it and see if you can avoid the temptation to fly!

Energy Out...Energy In

Balance...that's one of the primary themes of a yoga practice. I'm not talking about being able to hold your tree pose for long periods of time, but about keeping our individual energy needs in check.



I'm also not talking about energy in the form of calories...we've all heard that to "maintain our weight, we need to take in as much energy in the form of calories as our body needs". They even have energy measuring devices on cardio equipment so you can see how many calories it takes to stride on your elliptical trainer for 20 minutes.



What I'm referring to is the vital energy that is housed in our bodies, the same energy that flows throughout the greater universe. This energy, prana, is a current that penetrates through our physical selves, our thinking minds and our spiritual being. We notice if this energy balance is out of whack when we over commit to things outside of us and under commit to keeping ourselves in good health.



We say yes to helping a friend, sitting on a committee, hosting an event or babysitting a child. All noble and loving acts...but in addition to all that we're already doing, we might be stretching ourselves a bit thin. We don't have enough reserve at the end of the day to meet more than our basic needs. Where's the time for you if you're always looking after things outside of you?



Many of us have had the experience where we push ourselves and slide right past the point where we need to say "no more" but keep going. regardless. For short periods of time, this is often easily managed. But, what if your m.o. is always turned to that switch? What if taking time for yourself feels like a luxury rather than a necessity?



Now is a great time to reflect on what you do to support your own needs. What are you doing to move and enjoy the power of your body? How many moments in the day do you notice how your breath is moving in and out of your lungs? Do you have at least 10 minutes in a day where you're not interrupted, asleep or connected to an electronic device? Do you think about how the food you eat is becoming part of your body? Is it nourishing you in the way you desire? Are you connecting to people who love and support you? Are you learning something new?



I was inspired to write about this topic because I've just come off a very intense 11-day work stint. It's been great on so many levels and by day 11, my inner voice went from a quiet whisper to a louder shout of "take time for yourself this weekend!".



So, I'm listening. Few plans. Good tea and green juices. Sunshine. Bicycling. No alarm clock. Time with Ed, Koele (my dog), and friends.



Ahhhh...back in balance.