patience
One of the reasons I so badly wanted to get to the beach, was to get to practice yoga in a natural, peaceful, warm environment in the nature again. By the energizing sunrise and sunset. I have missed the deeper spiritual connection between my mind, my body and our planet as I cover myself in layers of clothes and fight the cold up here in the dark North. Yoga can be practiced anywhere, but in comfortable temperatures outdoors, surrounded by natural elements and sounds, it does make so much more sense.
Anything makes more sense in comfortable temperatures doesn't it. With sunshine and warm winds feeding our bodies and souls with light and energy. A fact we can't escape from. I am not made for this climate we are in at the moment, but I accept it as part of our current situation and the plans we have made for this time and period of our lives. That said, I still make sure to get my yoga practice in. Even if my body is stiffer and takes longer time to awaken after a day out in minus degrees.
A handstand or a hollow back handstand that I'm playing with in the image, wasn't as easy to work on in this narrow corridor as it might seem. The only exit into the corridor was through the narrow bathroom door, but my feet would hit the frame on attempt so in order to get up on my hands, I started with a simple headstand, and Alex had to help lift me up on my hands. I'm unfortunately not that strong in my arms that I can manage to move from head to handstand by myself just yet. From there, I leaned my legs and bottom at the wall, and walked out with my hands, slowly lowering my legs and arching my back as I positioned my hands further away from the wall. I think I could have pushed it lower with back more arched but hadn't stretched enough plus I had a bit too much wine last night to keep my mind completely focused through the process.
This one require both some strength in arms and upper body (regular push ups help to build strength in those areas), as well as flexibility in back and shoulders. I have a long way to go to make this pose as perfect as I wish for it to be. What I can learn from this position and many other asanas, is the knowledge that nothing in life comes for free. If we want something so bad, we need to work hard on it and accept that life takes time. Patience is an integral feature of life which we must learn to respect, both when practicing yoga, and when yearning for sunshine and warmth in the middle of a cold winter.
Move slowly but determined and don't lose focus on your goal. That is pretty much how my mind operates these days. Or like Daisaku Ikeda so simply put it: With love and patience, nothing is impossible.
