In the last few weeks, I have ventured into the new (and
sometimes slightly painful) world of yoga.
I know that no matter what soreness I might experience the next day, I
find myself looking forward to the time to stretch and hold the poses, breathe
and relax while focusing on tensing specific muscles.
At the end of this last class, we were in our normal relaxation
time, but with my rear firmly planted against the corner of the wall and floor,
my legs were stretched up the wall.
Letting me legs stretch out to the sides in a V, my muscles initially
resisted. I think there may have been
some discussion of mutiny going on in those muscles. Given time, letting gravity and breathing
slowly relax the muscles, the stretch was deepened.
If I had tried to force that stretch, I would really be
hurting and potentially do some muscle damage.
If I didn’t relax into the stretch and let the muscles slowly relax, I
wouldn’t achieve that looser muscle feel I was going for. I needed to just let
it keep at it, while giving it some time.
We all have issues we need to deal with, things that stretch
us beyond what is comfortable. We have
to deal with them to be able to move on and face the future. Yet, we cannot always just force ourselves to
fully “deal with” something in a particular moment either. It seems, at least for me, that it comes more
in fits and starts. There is no
movement, and then a bit, a centimeter more, then another and another. Perhaps even plateauing a bit, before being
ready to resume; teaching us patience.
Yoga may be working on my core muscles and flexibility. It is also reminding me that dealing with
those tight muscles takes time and effort – so does life.
