As we move through postures in yoga, it becomes a journey of self-discovery; to peel away the layers revealing our Self with each choice we make with our practice. Self with a capital “S” refers to the Highest Self our absolute truth that is connected to Spirit (the universal subconscious mind and Creator of All that Is). And I wonder, during my yoga practice, who is the real me? Is it the one who stays in Wheel another breath? Is it the one who heeds the call of Child’s Pose in the midst of Sun Salutations?  Perhaps all these choices are the essence of Me.

As I delve deeper into my own practice, I realize that it is the choice I make that allows me to go deeper first and then the posture allows me to go deeper second. An inspirationally symbiotic exchange of physical and spiritual as we choose where our bodies will go next with our spirit and our bodies go there. Our bodies then open and we release down to a cellular level, which then fuels the spirit.

So, when do I hold a posture a little longer? Or when do I release it and enter another pose? When is the right time, or is there even a right time? We face these types of decisions in every day life, too: When to pursue a task and when to just let it go. And with each choice our physical body follows and we enter in spirit.

This is why I continue to practice. Every day provides a different answer to whether I stay with it or let it go. And each time I discover something new about myself but what has become clear is this: I am more in tune with my body and my spirit with each practice and I am OK with each decision I make. It’s not about whether I nail Crow today or not, but rather the decision made in that moment to pursue Crow or leave it behind for another day. Our decisions to inhale; to exhale; to keep movement; to keep stillness; it all leads to an opening beyond our conscious minds and this is where the magic begins.

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Thank you and Namaste, Karen