Yoga Helps Give You Confidence in Challenging Times

I was on a video call when I noticed two big Blue Jays playing in the fresh Colorado mountain air.  As they danced from tree branch to tree branch, I smiled thinking that they were likely starting their spring rituals.  It gave me pause to think about how the bird and I suddenly relate in a reverse kind of way.  The bird begins life pent up in a tiny egg shell but is now observing confident free flying.  I went from the freedoms of coming and going, when and where I wanted, to now staying put. I’m observing day 12 of a self-oriented shelter in place. I am suddenly experiencing life from inside a small space. 

What can I learn from the bird’s solo and confining beginnings? 
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God’s specially designed bird’s shell is used for growth and shelter: ten thousand pores for breathing, the yolk is the food source, an egg white provides an air pocket.  The bird keeps the faith and the will to press onto the next step in life as God has equipped the bird with a specialized shell cutting beak.  It breaks out of the shell and chooses the freedom to live and breathe and everything else! (Acts 17:25) God always has a plan and I am confident that if he can provide for the needs of a chick, how much more will he provide for me when this COVID thing has run its course.  The birds don’t worry about their future food nor their storehouses of TP.  From this insider looking out, I will observe their confidence and wait until it’s just the right time to spread my wings in freedom. I rest knowing God’s got this.

The Frogpose Beginner Flow yoga class leads the flock through a moving meditation on God’s word while listening to Christian music, bringing our individual temples of the Holy Spirit into a state of health and balance.  Each week offers prayer, guided breath work with a series of sometimes challenging physical poses, and stretching on a yoga mat.  Since our current lives seem a bit closed in and upside down, this week’s class will incorporate the inversion, Crow Pose. 

The Crow Pose is considered an arm balance yoga pose and it requires a lot of focus apart from the physical strength. The weight of the body is balanced on the arms and the body weight is at the wrists and elbows. Just like the crow or the crane have a light body for the legs to take the weight, we need to bring that lightness to balance our body on the arms along with proper alignment. The fear of falling on our nose or losing balance and hurting our wrists is most likely to happen if the mind is not ready for these yoga poses (Crow Pose or Crane Pose). Hence Crow Pose builds into the awareness of the body and hones the mind-body connection while “flying in the air”. Crow Pose also works on emotional state by helping us conquer fear and allowing us to accept and embrace life with courage.

In solitude and the safety of our own spaces, we will practice our series of sometimes challenging physical poses, using the Breath of the Almighty to give us life, on Facebook life.  Wednesday at noon.

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