Thursday, 29 July 2021
Bonfire Context
Bonfire Yoga – I so needed it!
Six and a bit months ago, I broke my ankle, and for all the positivity I directed toward my healing, the experienced voices of the professionals has overridden my determination. My ankle is still stiff, and the stretching has become no more than simply performing a rotation or two and pointing the toes whenever possible Okay, it’s a little more than that, but not much more. I needed yoga, and the best form of it for my body was Bonfire Yoga.
So, what is hot yoga? It’s yoga performed at 29ºC (84.2ºF), and Bonfire Yoga ups the ante by getting you to complete 27 poses in 55 minutes (five minutes is for end of session meditation). To be honest, it’s the best part, and the meditation only works that well if you’ve done the class. It’s like the stretching and sweating clears your mind as you focus solely on the moves and your breath.
It’s incredible just how quickly your muscles can atrophy if you’re not using them. Yoga poses that I once performed with ease were now challenging. The other part I had forgotten about was the mirrors and the face you need to confront in them. A red, bloated, sweaty and uncoordinated stance stood staring back at me – OMG, where did my balance go!
Nonetheless, I felt good about going to the session. I’d been scared to go, more because of the effect it would have on my ankle than my ego. Sometimes, I do this crazy thing by keeping pace with others in the class; the problem is they’re regulars and usually experienced. The thing is, I’m nowhere in their league, but it pushes me to better myself.
Evergreen
Pushing myself involves part belief I can get better and part delusion about my skills. Although the instructor wasn’t encouraging, commenting, “I’d like to say it gets easier, but it doesn’t”. Was he trying to discourage me from coming to class?
I thought it was a strange comment, although I took it to mean because you’re permanently striving, it’s always going to get more complicated. For instance, today, it might be the tree pose with one foot on your thigh and hands in front of your chest. Tomorrow it might be a tree pose with both hands in clasped above your head.
It was the latter, or I’ve become like “Evergreen”. Evergreen was the nickname of a middle-aged guy (behind his back) with poor flexibility who attended the same karate lessons as me. Every week he’d rock up to karate and say he’d been working on his kick’s and their height, and each week none of us spotted any difference.
Evergreen’s kicks were always about kneecap level, and he easily could have done some damage, but he wasn’t going to be kicking anyone in the guts anytime soon. We liked Evergreen, and we all sought to encourage him by supporting his perception. By the way, he got the name Evergreen because it was his belt colour, and in the five years we knew him, it hadn’t changed. Nor had his dedication to the sport. He gave every lesson 100% for personal fitness and kicks. 🙈. Maybe this is me now.
Today's Cards
The Cards - Bonfire Analysis
Carryover Cards
No cards carried over from yesterday.
Cross
Stress is in the Now influenced by Comparison with the Goal of getting back to The Source. The Stress was me anticipating going to a Bonfire Yoga lesson. Comparison is what was causing the Stress, and my reason for going to the class in the first place was to get back to The Source. The Source was my foundational state before my ankle getting broken.
During a chrysalis of realisation that the experts were right in the Distant Past (Beyond Illusion), I need to change how I exercised the broken ankle.
The change took the form of Sharing what other’s learnt or their Sharing of ideas and support forced me to consider going to Bonfire Yoga. Going to yoga, or the idea of going to yoga, caused the Stress now felt. And the comment made by the instructor put me back in two minds about going again (Schizophrenia in Future Energy).
Base
My Feelings on the situation is I needed to go, and I will continue to go (I hope). Working with the Bonfire Yoga team will help me to improve (We are the World).
Others’ Views are that with Patience, healing will take place. Time will show improvements in the ankle, and I have to stop comparing myself to others healing journeys. Not comparing yourself is so VERY difficult!
Harmony is in the Hopes & Fears spot. By listening to my heart, I hope to overcome the real or imagined discouragement and return to the practice. My biggest fear is I will somehow find excuses taking on the form of self-sabotage.
Finally, Ordinariness is in the Outcome position. Maybe this is a sign that going to Bonfire Yoga will become part of ordinary life?
References
- Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
Links
Day 122 – Dog Yoga, another attempt at yoga.
