Short blog this week as I spent much of the past week away only to be home for a day and then leave for some down time in the Berkshires; surely this will be great inspiration for next week’s blog!
I spent 3 days this week at the Brimfield Antique Fair with my 91-year-old Mom. I was somewhat nervous about the trip, as she has had several falls recently, is recovering from Mohs surgery and is increasingly forgetful. I worried about how 72 hours without a break from each other would be for both of us; however, we have been attending this event together for over 30 years and Mom insisted she was ready to go! So, off we went.
We walked around Sturbridge the first day popping into the town hall, the local library, some shops and visited a revolutionary era cemetery, fascinating history. We spent 2 full days at the fair and while our time on the fields may have spanned slightly less time than in prior years, we did not miss any of our favorite spots and logged several miles of walking each day. We spent time recharging on the porch of our hotel, reading our books and drinking wine and yes, eating potato chips. We went out to dinner each night and saw lots of familiar faces around the Publick House and at the fair. What I observed during this time was that while Mom may forget what day it is, she is a great conversationalist, is on top of current events and is ready to exchange stories or discuss the state of the world with everyone we met. I loved seeing our vendor friends light up when they saw her approach, bringing her water and chairs; she often turned them down, I gratefully accepted!
As I write this, I am filled with gratitude. Gratitude for being able to spend this time with my mother, gratitude for all that she has taught me and instilled in me (unflagging spirituality, commitment to helping the less fortunate, love of reading, gardening and sense of family). During our time away we had some great conversations on all these topics, and it made me happy to be able to converse with her about them rather than our usual talks about family drama (and there is always some). It was a beautiful, peaceful time together and not without some lively debate.
This week in our practice I suggest we take time to feel gratitude for our family, despite the challenges that they may pose. Gratitude for our parents, living or deceased, and any other mentors we have had in our lives. If, like me, spending time with your family can be challenging, we have our yoga to support us. These times are great for leaning into our deep yogic breathing, focusing on being present in the moment, and remembering our blessings. I do firmly believe that sometime in the future I will wish for the calls I often get from my mom when I say, “No Mom, today is not Monday, look on your calendar, yes! today is Thursday and I will pick you up for dinner after yoga!”.
Our Practice – Opening Our Hearts with Gratitude – Utrasana - Camel Pose
As we think about expressing gratitude, we think about opening our heart. Heart opening poses include many back bends, camel being one that we come to usually later in the practice after warming up with other poses before trying this more challenging pose. There are lots of way to modify the pose making it accessible to everyone and we visit those modifications in class when we practice.
Physical benefits of heart opening poses can be increased energy and reduced fatigue as well as increased spinal flexibility, strengthened back muscles and improved posture. Camel also stretches the front of the body, particularly the chest, abdomen, quadriceps, and hip flexors.
Begin in a high kneeling position with your thighs parallel to each other and your hands on your lower back (fingers up or down). Tuck your toes under (later you can try with tops of the feet flat).
Lift up out of your belly and waist to lengthen your spine. As you move into the backbend, lead with your chest, and let your head follow (think rainbow versus leaning back).
Try not to toss your head back but also avoid tucking your chin or not moving your head at all. Initiate the backbend with your chest and move the back of your head back (not the crown) to keep length in the back of your neck.
This could be enough, hold for several breaths. If you want to take it a little further, you can reach one hand or both hands back towards your heels. Press your pelvis forward thinking about the rainbow image or back bending over a huge exercise ball as you lead with your chest and move the back of your head back to follow.
When you're ready to come up out of the pose, lead with your chest, pressing your hands at the lower back to support. Head comes up last.
Meditating on Gratitude
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” – Henry Ford
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” ― A.A. Milne, “Winnie-the-Pooh”
See you on the Mat!
Namaste,
Julia Anne
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