Our Injuries Are Our Greatest Teachers

What a pain in my neck!

Literally.

Pretty much all I can feel right now is intense pain down the left side of my neck into my shoulder. It happened during practice this morning. Let's see if there is a lesson in my situation...

Our yoga mats are a guide to how we are behaving, thinking, and feeling in life. If you have been practicing yoga for even a short period of time, you have probably experienced this phenomenon that how you are on your mat, is how you are in your life.

Class was hard for me today. My body was tight and I had very little energy - perhaps because I didn't have my normal cup of coffee in the morning since I am preparing for a caffeine-free week of Baptiste Teacher Training Bootcamp ;) I backed off a little bit by eliminating chaturanga jump backs and skipping flip dog to wheel, but I kept feeling that I had to "push through."As I tried to push through, I came more into my head and less into my body. I was having a conversation with my self through many of the poses that went like this:

"You can do it Sara. You have to always strive to be your fullest expression of the pose - ever."

"I'm not really feeling it though. I think I will back off this practice. When it comes time for wheel I will do supported bridge. When we hold a crescent lunge long, I will come down to my back knee."

"What are you doing, Sara? You are making yourself tired and weak by thinking this way. Change your thinking. Have a BIG practice!"

And on and on and on it went. Mind you, we were no where near wheel or crescent lunge when I was thinking about them.

Then we got to crow, and Angie suggested moving into headstand from the arm balance. I went right for it, because that is what I always do. And I had to do a "good, full" practice. I don't think I felt my body at all as I moved into the pose. Then all of a sudden I was standing on my head.

"Wow," I thought. "I can hardly feel my arms, but they are too tired to hold me up any way. This tripod headstand feels weird and not strong." I came down shortly thereafter. As soon as I came out of the pose I realized I had almost all the weight of my body resting on my head, and that I felt a sharp pain in my left neck. The rest is history.

So, what is going on in my life now that reflects how I was on my mat today? Our injuries are our greatest teachers so what am I supposed to be learning from this pain in my neck? Where do I behave like a zombie and always do the same things because that is what I "always do?" Where do I keep pushing through or forward with something when I know it's not right for me? Where do I let my head, my "stinkin' thinkin'" get in the way of what I am trying to accomplish? Where do I let my thinking overpower my experience so much that I am not even experiencing what I am going through?

At this moment, to be honest, I am not quite sure what the answer is. But this sharp pain in my neck will be a constant reminder to become aware of all of the above questions, and figure out what is out of whack in my life right now. When I figure it out, I will let you know!!