Turkey Week


Wherein Our Heroine Stretches a Metaphor to its Breaking Point.
Happy Overindulgence Week! All over the country, people are either attending extra spinning classes (ugh) or just giving up the fight in preparation for ingestion of massive quantities of carbohydrates and tryptophan.

I subbed this Saturday, getting a small group of determined yogins, one of whom had just come from spinning class because she had an "extra two pounds" (where they were, I couldn't tell you) and had brought her determinedly Western mindset with her. Nope, I'm not peevish and ranty about this - I used to do the same thing, and believe it or not, I have some sympathy for it. What do I mean by a "Western" mindset? I mean a "take everything as an opportunity to work another muscle" mindset. For instance: after restoratives and relaxation poses, Yoga teachers generally give an instruction to roll over onto your right side, rest there for a minute, and then use your hands under your shoulders to push yourself up to sitting. This woman did what I used to do - roll over onto the right, and then pop! Up you sit (any excuse for a sit-up - work those abs!), eyes wide open, alert - nay tense. "What's next?" their posture and attitude say.

I used to think there were two major misconceptions about Yoga - one camp thought it was "just relaxing" and another thought it was "just stretching." Now I have found a third camp, the camp who thinks it's "just toning."

But all of these mindsets miss the point - Yoga is all of these (and more). And to put out the effort without allowing yourself the bliss of relaxation flooding through your body is cheating yourself. Kind of like doing the hard work of making the turkey, the stuffing, and the mashed potatoes and not allowing yourself to eat them.
Posted: Monday - November 22, 2004 at 07:36 AM         | |

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