At first, I saw it coming. Trying not to anticipate the pain that would surely ensue was useless. That's why you are trained to stay in the moment. This moment, not in the next moment. It's especially hard when you know the next moment is going to result in deep aching pain that lasts for days.
Dear reader, this is Yin Yoga.
Dragon pose is a deep lunge. The front foot is firmly planted with your knee squared directly above your ankle. Always keeping your knee at a 90 degree angle. The back leg is stretched long behind you with your knee and the top of your foot on the ground. Hands are placed on the floor on either side of the front foot.
The pose is held for 5 minutes on each side. It is simultaneously brutal and beautiful. You hold and breathe and just when you think you can't take it anymore, you remember that you can make it better. All you have to do to make the hurting stop is surrender control. It hurts because you are trying to control it.
There is probably a beautiful explanation for the name of this pose, Dragon. Probably something to do with a legend about a graceful beast flying off in noble pursuit of something mystical and grand. If I wrote the book, it would be about that intense burning sensation that you carry with you for days after you slay a fire breathing beast.
(Full disclosure: there is also a pose we do a lot in Yin called Rajakapotasana or Sleeping Pigeon. Don't let the name fool you. That pigeon is a nastily little beast.)
No comments:
Post a Comment