A very determined looking but motherly teacher at a Iyengar studio I’ve gone to in the past – unfortunately too far for me to commute to but … a treat to get to visit occasionally. She says she’s a grandmother but her body seems more lithe and supple than someone far younger… My inspiration. She displays both strength and flexibility throughout her demos. I am far younger but started to suffer a violent headache after a hand-stand; forearm stand and a headstand … boom; boom; boom … snap your fingers …3 inversions within first 15 minutes – did them. No warm-up other than the shoulder rotations using the ropes on the wall – Yes, sure, I do inversions especially shoulder stands – sure, after all, 200 hrs. RYT stands for something? but do I enjoy them? That is yet to be determined:)
Then afterwards use of chair for back-bends + inversion combo… a violent headache hits. It’s rather debilitating at this point flipped upside down on a chair – rather than feel the luscious opening within, ahhh … ouch, is someone hitting my head with a hammer? so I confessed to my headache coming out of the back of the chair. She peered into my eyes with sternness… I know – I must have been holding my breath (it’s fear. Going upside-down is to me … terrifying … Terror? hahaha, would never make it in a circus) somewhere cutting off oxygen to my head while blood rushed into my head in all these inversions which usually makes me feel … light headed. I have always been one to suffer from motion-sickness and sometimes that comes; sometimes a sense of exhilaration …it’s either Hell or Heaven, little in-between:
Breathe … yes, I know.
Overcome fears… Yes, I know.
That’s why we do them … Yes, I know.
Sometimes a sense of panic can hijack my nervous system at such times of vertigo combined with a headache – but not with this motherly instructor …faith and trust in self and the teacher is the key to override weird sensations. 5 minutes of grounding pranayama and back to re-join the progression in this steady practice. Headache-free, felt wonderful afterwards. Hard to believe only 60 minutes ago, I was suffering from a banging headache. Better than Tylenol.
At present, (ideally:) I practice Vinyasa style 2 times a week; Iyengar-ish style 1-2 times a week; whatever nameless style ??? everyday and then … Restorative yoga 1-2 times a week (everyday would be dreamy … if only … whenever I need an escape from the grind? No, whenever I need to spend time with “myself”, purge toxins mental and physical, pre-meditate, clear my mind through pranayama…at times, it’s “spiritual” …it’s what you want it to be) …
What about you?
