Let It Goga!

I don’t often find occasion to quote the advice of a Disney Princess. But inasmuch as this is a solid Yoga principle,  I make the exception for Elsa’s icy plea:

“Don’t let them in, don’t let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know
Well, now they know!

Let it go, let it go
Can’t hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door!”

One of my favorite questions in Yoga is: What can you let go of ? Are you hanging on to misconceptions, anxieties, priorities and strategies that no longer serve you ? Maybe you’ve inadvertently stored these obstacles to calm in your physical body, unable or unwilling to let go.

Often in the physical practice of Yoga we are thwarted in a pose, movement or sequence by what we perceive as tightness or stiffness. However as practice goes on, and the breath deepens, the body spaces expand, the heart opens, the core strengthens, the focus sharpens, the mind becomes tranquil and the soul brightens…….this perception of tightness lifts and it lifts because we have set up a physiological trigger to “let it go”, to let go of the tension that we bury in our hips, our necks, our shoulders, and our hearts.

If we’re lucky by the time we arrive at Savassana (end of practice) that physiological release has triggered an emotional release and the real aim of Yoga has been realized.

If we’re even luckier over time with consistent practice the ‘let it go’ trigger becomes easier and easier to access. Luckiest of all is when that ‘let it go’ spirit follows us off the mat and starts coming up again and again in our lives off the mat ! Maybe the fourth spilled milk of the day is just ‘spilt milk’. Maybe the traffic jam on 1604 is a chance to breathe and think and escape our sensory bombardments. Maybe our quick and angry reactions soften. Maybe those continued obstacles that life throws up are just new opportunities to shine. Maybe…….

The best part is you don’t have to lock yourself up in an ice palace to come to this way of thinking and living.  Just unroll your mat and join your friends in a warm, no pressure Yoga class. Letting go together is even better !

Namaste

Melissa Calhoun, 200 E-RYT