From Rowan Pantel, Saskatchewan
What does it take for you to trust someone else or, let’s say, to trust your body?
After yoga today the issue of trust came up at work. It got me thinking about trusting our bodies in our practice. Did you trust your body in your first class? Do you trust it more now than you did before? Is trust in yoga, the same thing as trust in our relationships?
I can’t remember how I felt about trusting my body after my first class, but I do know that over the past year the trust has grown. I expect that trust will continue to grow over the years as it does in any relationship. Through the yoga practice we can build a foundation of trust and understanding, knowing where to push, where to slow down and how to care for ourselves.
On the last 40-day challenge I hurt my shoulder and there was a loss of trust between my mind and my body. I continued on in the challenge, altering poses as needed. I felt better after a few days, and I believe healed faster than if I would have stopped my practice all together. Trust was quickly rebuilt, though I know this is not
always the case between people.
Allow your mind to trust your body through the rest of the challenge. I realize that it can be hard sometimes to shut our minds off, but believing that your body knows its limits can take you to new places in your practice. Let go of the thoughts that are placing limitations on your practice. Stop thinking about what you can and can’t do. Listen to your body and open up to the idea of change and endless possibilities. Namaste,
Rowan