Listening

Just back from restocking the birdfeeder. A few birds were loitering in the vicinity of the feeder, looking expectant. Cold out there. I don't know how people back east can stand the winter. Snow and ice? No thanks.

Yucky practice this morning--no surprise, really. I felt bad yesterday (even called in sick to the painting-at-Volleyball-Guy's soiree), and I woke a few times during the night with sinus pain. But since I just get out of bed when the alarm rings, I found myself standing in the kitchen at 5. And once I'm in the kitchen, coffee is definitely on the agenda. And after that, I might as well see where practice takes me.

Just through standing, as it turns out. I felt okay during the suryas, but my energy drained away pose by pose as I moved through standing. A drag, too, because I was eager to play around with backbends and the wall again.

It's been amusing, hearing "wall stories" from people. Gx mentioned in a comment how he likes the "wee drop feeling" before you touch the wall. Yes, the feeling of falling. It's a really interesting thing to play with. Again, memories of climbing--I was always interested in the falling feeling, how it is something humans are fascinated with (roller coasters, climbing, skydiving), even as we are programmed to resist it (babies have a reflex that kicks in if they feel they are falling). So very cool to surrender to a physical law (gravity) even as our biology resists it. I guess it's just a matter of how we surrender--with a graceful dropback, or by falling on our heads ;-) Thanks, Chris, for your very funny comment. I'm sure I'll find myself in the same situation, sooner or later.

So today's lesson, I suppose, is that I am finally learning what the phrase "listen to your body" means. After keeping a daily practice for the past seven months, I am aware of when my body feels strong and energetic, and when it feels tired after five or six consecutive days of practice, etc. And today I knew I felt sick, and that the energy wasn't going to kick in if I just made the effort. If I really was good at listening to my body, I would have known not to get out of bed when the alarm went off. Not quite there, yet, but getting closer. I don't like learning the lesson this way, though. I'd rather be in the yoga room, courting disaster-by-gravity.