Renegade Yogi

Yoga taken slowly

In Mysore Class yesterday, I have continued the trend of going really slowly. A while ago I noticed that everyone would pass me up in the sequence, even if they came in late. I was also having trouble finishing the sequence within the class time. As you probably know, the entire sequence is timed with your breath. So I decided to speed up my breathing and rush through it.

It has been good to get through the sequence with time enough for ṡvasana. I liked the pacing that the others around gave me. It meant I could not take extra time in between poses, which can be trouble.

But yesterday I realized that a lot of the meditative element is missing. I talked to the teacher about it last week. I asked her whether I should breathe as deeply and as slowly as I could and make the sequence last a long time, or do I speed up my breathing and stay with the other students. The verdict was clear: you should be breathing very deeply and slowly.

I then explained that I would probably take over two hours, when the teachers’ estimates was that it should take one hour and a half. And the class is only two hours long. She said that it was still important to go slowly, but she seemed skeptical that I could take so long.

Yesterday I did. I focused on breathing as deeply and as controlled as I could. I elongated breaths that I have been shortening for some time now (months?). I took my time in poses. I noticed others enter class and quickly pass me up.

And I did not finish the sequence. There was a good bit left when I had to leave because there was another class afterward. But I was happy with my practice.

The happiness came from the fact that I could not rush. I had to face each and every ache, each stretch, each tension. Virginia’s parents left me stressed and the last-minute details of traveling only added to it. Those things that I had been ignoring were suddenly blatantly obvious when I was faced with stretching my hamstrings. All of that tension is stored in the body, in the muscles usually, and stretching forces you to face it.

I appreciate the slowness of yoga. I will keep doing it slowly from now on, even if I don’t finish. I think I will learn to finish faster without rushing. I will get better at the transitions. When I rushed through everything, I would take several breaths to transition between poses. With a longer breath, I will eventually be able to do it in just one, as prescribed.

I appreciate the fact that I am still building a foundation. By focusing and slowing down, I secure that foundation so that I can build more on it. Although I probably won’t be the fastest, I will clock more hours doing very focused and patient work. And that’s what I need right now.