DETAIL + DEPTH | For fun, take the pose upside down and change the work of the pose from legs to upper body. The Movement: There are a few options here. From the last setup in Lower Trike (see previous post), place the hands and lightly hop into the pose. This will challenge your balance as you try to jump into the pose with this setup. Alternately, take the same pose with the knees against the wall. This will eliminate the challenge of balance but may require the body to reorient as the usual base is not the knees. Lastly, try the pose sans props. The Meditation: I sometimes see myself as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. It's not something I am proud of or wish to identify with, but I recognize that the feeling is there. When I started practicing yoga 16 years ago, I had already gone through minor personal awakenings that freed me from the painfully shy 5-year-old I could still imagine myself to be. But I didn't see myself as strong or capable, and therefore felt incredibly uncomfortable when any attention was placed on me. This also meant I lost my voice, and couldn't ask for what I wanted, literally, and in life, figuratively. I practiced yoga for the first two and half years without knowing about its history or philosophy. But I religiously showed up on the mat, and my body and mind transformed. I grew stronger, more flexible, and most importantly, more aware. 90 minutes a day, three, then four, then seven times a week, I had to stretch myself out of my comfort zone to dissolve the hardened belief that I was meant to live in pain. My greatest teaching comes from being on the mat, in my body, and with my breath. Do not underestimate the power of sincere practice, even if you have not found a teacher, don't meditate, or can't stand on your hands. Yoga Sutra 1.14 First, you have to practice for a long period of time; second, your practice must not be interrupted—you must do it regularly; and third, you must do your practice with love and respect. Translation by Pandit Rajmani © 2019 Ellen Huang Saltarelli (at Eagle Rock, Los Angeles) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsYNi3qh6nz/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=g5dioih7oxvk








