Last Night at Yoga

Last updated on: April 2, 2013 at 9:40 am by Ellen Painter Dollar

Last Night at Yoga 2013-04-02T09:40:37-04:00 Ellen Painter Dollar

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

My teacher was showing us some really wild things she has learned to do with her abdominal muscles. She blows out all her breath, pulls her abs back toward her spine, then is able to release and contract individual muscles so that a wave ripples back and forth across her belly. It’s wild to watch. Fortunately, she didn’t ask us to try copying her.

She was explaining that these exercises can help with digestion. Then she stopped. She looked up at us and said, “I don’t know if this is valid or not. I don’t know. Maybe not. But I’m going to say it anyway.”

“People who take up yoga,” she continued, “usually become more conscious of all the ways in which they treat their bodies. More conscious of their environment, their posture, what they eat. And people are always coming to me, worried, saying, ‘I’ve realized I need to eat better, to eat cleaner and fresher. But my family isn’t there. What shall I do?'”

My teacher continued, “I tell them that yoga and eating better and improving our attitudes and environments is not about rules. It is about realizing who you really are. Learning to care for and be at home with yourself. And part of what makes us who we are is our connections with other people. Those connections are more important than any rules. Eat with your family.”

Yes. Exactly.

Eating with my family, even as I clean up my own diet. That I can do. I even surprised myself by being able to hold a pigeon pose for a while last night. The rolling-waves-of-abs thing—not so much. Baby steps.

disability

Uncategorized

anti-inflammatory diet

Previous Post

April 1, 2013

Because I'm Not Funny Enough to Write My Own April Fool's Post....

Next Post

April 3, 2013 Meet David, as He Blogs His Way Through Alzheimer's

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category disability ethics parenthood Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What food did Jesus say He is, symbolically?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Salt of the Earth Bread of Life Honey from the Rock Fruit of the Vine