Wish had someone take a photo of me actually doing this … Actually maybe not as I don’t want potential students to think yoga is too hard and then never try it – this kind of supported scorpion is for us “fanatics” – for the everyday gentle yoga, there’s no striving. This kind of stuff only do with experienced teacher by your side … unless you grew up as a gymnast. For the rest of us, we need a good teacher,
Who get anatomy and movements … then one can be fearless and revel … it’s fascinating.
Lizzie Lasater, daughter of Judith Lasater is spreading this fascination among yoga teachers – with Embodied Anatomy Q&A with Mary Richards and of course, her mama, Judith. Perfect for the anatomy geeks who find learning this so invaluable.
“Embodied Movement Literacy” is all about doing ! Yes, Lizzie – we are sharing our practice. That’s why practice comes fist.
I love this talk on Yoga Body, which is THE title of a book Judith wrote some time ago and used as our teacher training text book… which is so interesting especially when you realize you are learning so much about the body for yoga when yoga is ultimately about the … mind. The conscious mind. So erudite – “Irony of ironies” indeed Judith – “We need a fit body in order to meditate” that was the original idea … Why? Why is meditating a big deal? Because it’s the tool for minimizing, overcoming suffering and ultimately, a gateway to the spiritual enlightenment … and scientifically and medically, it’s been proven that meditation relieves stress, alleviates anxiety and depression, increases the brain’s grey matter and allows for graceful aging (that some people like to call “anti-” aging – I am not ANTI to aging. I don’t oppose it at all – why resist the natural course of what’s to be?).
What a find ! She does not allow photo taking other than for personal study use in her workshops so this is quite a find – a vintage Judith photo from that incredible source – yes, the internet – apparently from 1977!!! Such a honor that I received this personal adjustment from the icon herself at the Invitational 🙂 Yes that’s a 10lb sandbag above my greater trochanter… which I was fearful about having placed but as it turns out – nothing to fear. It serves as a support to stabilize further. Thank you Judith!
Really love this mother-daughter relationship! It’s lovely to see that support they have for each other … Lizzie does, however, have that image “perfect” yoga body. She’s lean and strong and to me have that perfect yoga body exuding glowy health – so it’s even more refreshing to hear this. It’s a crazy world we live in if someone with that “perfect” a body may have to withstand scrutiny and judgement.
She’s right – that’s it. I teach stress management skills and work on the mind that uses the body as a gateway. That’s what I do. Who am I to? I actually think I am well qualified having dealt with inordinate amount of stress that almost knocked me over but I rose above it with – yoga. No more inordinate than anybody else’s perhaps, as everyone has a story … everyone may have a cross to bear … and we probably all do just at different times of our lives. It’s the timing of it all.
Better looking body ??? may be just a by-product along this path but eyes on the prize of what’s really essential. As someone whose body weight has yo’yo’ed between 115lbs to 134 lbs in the last 3 years, I know stress plays a large role in weight management and consequently how you feel and … look. While, yes, there’s “Upside to Stress”, there is no upside to “chronic” stress. Let’s take care of it. Yoga works.
