We have been doing a lot of poses to help open the chest and lift the heart. It lifts my spirits and energizes me, doing many of these poses. Others are a bit more challenging.
This sadhana I added a bit of a booster by including an intensive - an extra workshop Friday to Sunday. I jokingly said to someone that I wanted to know what the intensive would be before I signed up - if we were going to focus on twists I would take a pass. I signed up, and yes, well, twists it is. Which includes my nemisis, parivrtta trikonasana (revolved triangle). Also Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (Revolved Side Angle Pose). And seated twists. Twist, twist, twist and twist again.
Let's twist again, like we did last sadhana. ha ha ha.
Eye on the clock. After the first hour and a half it felt like the class should be finished, because that is the length of time of the daily morning practise. How much longer? Well, two and a half hours to go. Might as well forget about the time. What is it about twists anyway? Why don't I like them? Do they not like me? O just be quiet and do. Marlene is saying, "Don't twist with your spine, twist with your para-spinals... start the twist from the lower outer hip." So I pay attention, and the twists seem to become more accessible. Still, I leave feeling exhausted.
The next day's session is filled with poses I like. The strong inversions. Back bends. Pranayama. The work I have done the day before is helping me move more freely. My shoulders are actually listening to me when I ask them to roll back, or to relax, or to be firm. I leave feeling exhilarated. Refreshed.
When friends ask about the kind of yoga I do I explain about the concentration Iyengar brings to alignment. You think so hard about your outer foot or right shoulder you don't have time to listen to the chatter of your monkey mind. You try to cast your mind-fullness to places it doesn't normally travel. And when the practise is going well it seems your mind is cooperating to reach all the parts of your body. And when it is going really, really well, your mind seem to spread beyond its limits, to something beyond.
Serotonin? Neuroplasticity? All this, and something more.
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