What you see in the video above is nothing short of a miracle. I have been working really hard on this pose (and inversions in general) and felt like I wasn’t making progress. I can teach these poses and my students do them so well but actually doing it is another story completely. To be fair I have fibromyalgia, endometriosis and recently suffered the scourge of chikungunya. Getting out of bed is hard.
So today when I stepped on the mat I didn’t expect much. In addition to the physical challenges I have a host of emotional and mental issues holding me back. One of the main ones is the tightness in my chest from the grief of the loss of my brother and a bunch of other stuff. I really needed to be upside down so I set the camera and stepped on my mat. I was ready to review the video and criticize myself. But I was pleasantly surprised.
As my legs lifted off the ground I felt my chest open and my gaze was fixed. I breathed and kept going. I started pulling my left leg forward, and instead of falling like I normally did I was fine. It felt great. I wasn’t afraid like I normally am. I didn’t feel like I was going to break my neck (thanks mom). I didn’t feel like I was struggling. I felt like I that moment everything was perfect.
Whatever you’re going through, as impossible as it may seem, keep going! A breakthrough is coming.
Have you experienced any breakthroughs recently?
After returning back to yoga I feel stronger but fear definitely keeps me from headstands.
I suggest starting with dolphin pose. It will help build core strength and help you get used to being upside down