The good with the bad (dreams)

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night from a horrible dream that suddenly got you to worry your heart out? 

I had a terrible dream the other night, one that is reoccurring and always seems to come in times of stress. I was wide awake in horror BUT THEN remembered that YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF YOUR MIND (not the other way around). So there was this sudden burst of energy and I started writing... a sort of poem if you will:

I guess bad dreams 

are just efficient ways of showing us that we care 

or to make us aware that we are human and have fears

To remind us

that there are things we can't control 

in other ways than how we handle it

To bring awareness

to our subconscious mind

To test us

To prepare us

To make us stronger

To have faith

in the world to continue those pirouettes

and darkness to break into day

To know

that the universe got our backs (even literally)

To prove to us

of the impact 

of images and imagination

To remind us of the intelligent thought sorting system that is 

the state of sleep and dream

To train our ability to interpret

or let go

A bad dream always ends

and where do you go then?

Back to your life

which you actually to a large extent can control

There's a brand new day ahead of you

and that's real

That's something to wake up to

"Life is school..."

Today's conclusion:

People aren't that bad.

People are that bad.

Flaw gave opportunity for positive feedback. Nothing's ever just one thing. 

Short shift ahead of me then two days off. 

Found a lot of reasons to laugh today, despite the hard work.

Finally signed up for yoga class with work which will be Tuesday, wednesday and Thursday. Lookin' forward to it. Managed only 15 minutes of yoga in the morning, because the body really said no. Have to respect it.

Made it home before the rain came.

Food on the table. Watermelon after. Shower. Nap. Just a few asanas and some meditation. 

Yoga. Work. Eat. Sleep. Yoga. Sleep. Yoga. Eat. Work....

That's what it is right now. So simple.

"Life is school 

and the tests 

will continue 

until you graduate."

Keep calm & curry on

So back to one of the previously mentioned goals... headstand! There are some helpful guiding videos to help you get inspired and find the way to getting where you want to be. Yoga with Adriene has a good one about headstands. I'm taking it one step at a time. Right now I'm on my elbows with my head in my hands in a kind of downward facing dog, feet slowly coming closer. Still have some way to go.

Every day is a new. As one practises, one learns which asanas that work to your benefit in different situations. It's also good to actually check up with the old yogis, they got the knowledge and they're not afraid to use! Today as I was working and I built up a lot of tension in my shoulders and back as well as mental tension. Yoga can help, but what does intuition say? Mental recharge, physical rest. 

The old Lovisa would have been discouraged in the belief that this was a bad day. It's not a bad day. We tend to label everything in black and white. What is it really though, without our subjective judgment? It's a day.  You may have lost the test because you were unprepared, but if you don't lose the lesson it still had a purpose. 

Everything happens for a reason, it's up to you to find it.

Keep calm

&

CURRY ON

The good, the bad and the patience.

It's easy to be harsh toward one's self. I can be really tough and impatient sometimes.

Thankfully yoga helps notice when that's happening and quiet down the harsh ruler who wants perfection now, without working for it. There's no instant change. You can't get SUDDENLY SUPER FLEXIBLE. The body doesn't work that way. You have to build it. With the slow progress comes the more sustainable result.

It's quite common to be more flexible on one side than the other. For me left has always been the "good side" while right just needs more time. More practise. More patience. More understanding.

I used to press the right side until it hurt. This is the greatest difference between regular exercise and yoga. The awareness. You have to listen to your body. No means no, maybe means ok go until no. Never go past no.

There's an asana where you connect your hands behind back with one elbow reaching up and one down. I tried a few times but just couldn't reach. Then a few nights ago while I was brushing my teeth I had one hand behind my back. Then I started wondering... how far can it go? The pose came into my head and I let go of the toothbrush to reach the left hand with my right. WOW!

So how do I practice the right side for this?

Grab a scarf. Hold one end with your left hand. Breathe in and lift the scarf up above your head and as you breathe out fold the arm above your head behind your back. You don't have to reach far. Take the right hand behind your back and reach up, grabbing the other end of the scarf. Very gently pull the scarf, bringing your right hand just a little further up your back every time that you breathe in. Just a little bit more. Just as far as feels comfortable. Stay. Breathe 5 more deep breaths through the nose. Exhale as you slowly let go. Then use your right hand to gently pull down the left. 5 breaths. Let go and exhale. Remember to do the exercise on both sides to maintain balance. Eventually when the time is right. You won't need the scarf anymore!

The great thing is that it gets easier each time. I still can't reach the other way, but there's great comfort in knowing that it's possible. Yesterday the fingertips touched and that's enough progress to keep me going.