Arm-Balancing Tips

Hope is not a prediction of the future, it's a declaration of what is possible.

-- Yogi Bhajan

Arm balancing… YIKES. The dreaded point in the class where many of us just sit around and watch and get down on ourselves, or don't stay within our own practice for whatever the reason. 

Listen, sometimes… bakasana (crow pose) just isn't for me. And that's part of our daily practice. So you know what? Just stay in malasana and enjoy the benefits of that asana. We are not in class to show-off, nor to get down on ourselves for not being able to do whatever our neighbor is doing. 

I truly feel that the fear of getting into an arm-balance or the perception that you "can't do it" is the biggest hindrance to someone actually working their way to a particular pose.

Here are some tips that will hopefully help you in your journey:

• Have fun: Laugh when you fall, enjoy the exploration and smile your way through the process. If you go into the arm-balance with a playful intent, chances are, you'll savor the experience and its outcomes. 
• Stay within the "Atha": NOW. Don't worry about an accelerated variation or final expression. Each step, live in it and continue to build, not holding on to any past experience and not anticipating any end-result.
• Breathe: Most of the tension in our poses come from our inability to just inhale and exhale. Breathing will steady the body and help you feel lighter. 
• Let go: If you got into your first arm-balance or that tricky one that you feel has gotten the best of you, let it go. If you working towards a particular one and begin to feel its a daunting task… LET IT GO. It won't define you either way… so let it go. 
  

I invite you to post any prior experiences and approaches in hopes of empowering others. We are all students and one way we attain knowledge is via other people's journeys. 

See you soon… 
-- Vic

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