The Flow Woes through which I Grow

We're Day 3 into DC Yoga Week. I've managed (to my pleasant surprise) to attend a yoga class at a new-to-me studio each day thus far. I'm feeling great; loving all the breath work and stretching. I will blog about my fav classes and details of each studio in an upcoming entry(ies). Tonight, however, I'm dedicating this post to an extremely important yoga tip I learned mid-session.

This tip is applicable to men and women alike, to all styles of yoga, no matter the time of day or location you choose to practice.

The background: DC is a metropolitan area. Many folks partake of yoga classes. As such, most studios have each student place their mat literally within inches of their neighbor. Unlike yoga offered at a gym, where often there are large classrooms for step, bodypump and yes sometimes even yoga, "crowded" at a yoga studio takes on a whole new meaning. You have to stagger where you stand on the mat, just so you don't smack the person next to you as you raise your arms on inhalation. You are definitely in tight quarters.

The warm-up: Amidst all the warriors, cobras and downdogs, there are going to be times you are nose to toe with the person in front of you, or bum to face with the person behind you. Yoga encourages an openness to both self and others. These accommodations necessitate it.

The ALL IMPORTANT TIP: Do NOT, mere hours before attending such a yoga class, consume a salad whose protein components are hard boiled egg whites and black beans! If you do, be prepared to work out certain muscles that your yoga class was not intended to address.

I'm pleased to say that I managed to complete this evening's practice without asphyxiating the ladies surrounding me. This involved severe contractions of many, often unused muscles immediately below my navel/solar plexus chakra. It is not lost on me that this chakra is also associated with fire. Oy. I'm sad to say that I did not apply the yogic principles of balance (ie. for every muscle contraction, there should be an equal extension). My overall sense of peace and calm would have probably improved. But again, I'll defer to the superceding notion of loving neighbor as self (see Mark 12:31; see also AblazeyDaisy Dos header). The comfort and safety of my fellow yogis triumphed.

Now that I'm back home, relaxing and reviewing the day's events, I'm amazed at my lack of sense. What was I thinking? Well, I guess I was thinking that due to work, I had to eat lunch at 3:30 pm. And, I was ravenous. I was seeking out a healthy, low-point meal to carry me through til the later hours of the evening. The husband had hard boiled several eggs yesterday and they were staring at me from the fridge, so it seemed an obvious go-to for some long lasting fuel. The black beans in my salad are a regular staple. The combo, unfortunately, is deadly.

Now, aren't you glad you know about this tidbit before YOUR next flow sequence??!? I'm off. I've held a certain flow sequence of my own for long enough.