It’s 5:55 am on Tuesday, and before I step on my yoga mat I’m already thinking about savasana, my to do list for work, what to eat for breakfast and remembering to call my parents. There is a reason they call this a practice. Every day you show up on the mat is another day toward deepening and widening your body, heart and mind. Remaining present for the postures in the fearlessYOGA Warrior Series I requires a great deal of effort. Tadasana (mountain), utkatasana (chair) and virabhadrasana I (warrior I) are the first three postures to open the series, each requiring a transition to move into the next posture. When we hold fearlessYOGA classes, lunge and child’s pose definitely seem to be the “crowd favorites” for transitions. Both poses require a certain level of attention and exertion before moving to the next pose.
When I came across Jason Crandell’s article, “The Space Between” in Yoga Journal, I immediately knew I, too, was “by nature a fast walker.” Noticing, truly being aware of the power and the beauty of transitional postures in fearlessYOGA, or any series, takes time and effort. Moving from tadasana to forward bend, from victory stretch to utkatasana, and from lunge into virabhadrasana I all present a level of challenge that most mornings leaves me with more questions then answers. Transitions of all kinds provide a priceless metaphor for life. Depending on your comfort level with the posture or situation, transitions can provide comfort, challenges or distractions.
“Transitions in yoga, as in life, are hard. When the body is well aligned in a pose, there’s often a sense of ease, as the bones absorb much of your body weight and the muscles support and stabilize you. During transitions, your brain has to figure out the actions, and your muscles have to move your weight from one plane to another. Moving slowly through transitions is more demanding, mentally and physically.”
– Jason Crandell
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