It’s summer time!!! My favorite season! I love the warmth and extra time with my family.
Many people take time in the summer for fun! I have friends traveling to the beach, to the mountains and to far away adventures. Even if travel isn’t in your plans for the summer - there’s still ways to have fun all around us. A few summers ago we had a lot of fun with pool yoga and beach yoga.
Maybe this summer we can take some time to vary from our routines - to try something different - instead of sticking with ‘the way it’s always be done’ - we can find a new variation to enjoy. I’m sure you’ve heard of the story about the woman who always cut off the end of the roast? If not, as it was told to me - One day as a woman was preparing a roast her daughter decided to help her with the meal. The woman took the roast to the counter and cut off the end of the roast and placed the remaining roast into the pan. Her daughter asked her, ‘Mom, why did you cut off the end of the roast?’ Her mom stood there and thought about it for a moment and said, ‘Because that’s what my mom always did.’ So she decided to call her mom and ask why she cut off the end of the roast. The mom replied, ‘Because the pan I had for the roast was too small, and the roast didn’t fit. So, I cut the end off.’ While the story may seem silly to us, take a moment and think about the different ways we walk through life on autopilot and are simply moving through the motions because that’s the way we’ve always seen them be done, or habits we’ve created on our own.
Taking some time for introspection (or for yogis - Svadhyaya) can help us realize old habits that might not be benefitting our lives anymore. Just like the woman who was wasting part of her meat out of tradition, we can figure out - what are we wasting? Maybe it’s not even something we’re wasting, but holding on to too tightly. What can we let go of that no longer helps us be our best self? I’ve heard multiple stories of friends avoiding fellow neighbors and others around them because of the negative energy they emit. Do we spend our time complaining, or finding blessings and ways to be thankful each day?
I must admit, I have spent a lot of time dwelling in negatives instead of seeking positives. Or begrudging situations which I thought should have been different. Most days I have to be intentional about seeking positive energy so I have something positive to share with the world around me. Some days are easier to seek posivitivy than others.
So, #JustForFun I’ve created a flow of poses that are just a little different. Most of my students have encountered at least variations of these poses - which I did not create - but are fun! Some of these poses stem from traditional poses, others are just a variation of the more traditional yoga postures. One of the things as a yoga instructor I try to instill in my students is feeling and seeking the pose that fits the best for our bodies each day. If we are all trying to look the same, we're not being true to our own bodies.
Some of the fun poses highlighted in the flow are - Wide-Kneed Child's Pose, Three-Legged Downward Facing Dog, Funky Side Plank, Wild Thing (Flip-the-Dog), Reverse Warrior, Airplane Balance, Standing Spinal Twist, Flying Lizard, Wide Twisted Lunge, One-Legged Bridge, and Recovery pose for relaxation.
This is a fun flow with many variations available for all levels. The beginning flow can done from the knees, instead of downward dog, and non-flying lizards are still lizards! Find a flow that feels good for your body and find peace in the creativity and let joy flow through your body and into the world! Find your creative expression with me during any of my classes, or set up a time for a private session to work on any area of your body that would like extra help - and of course during the summer - pool yoga! Anytime you share your yoga with the world - tag me @clarissapyeattyoga on facebook and instagram - so I can enjoy your yoga fun!