No matter what level or frequency of practice, anyone who has a relationship with yoga will at some point apply their practice off the mat, whether deliberately or inadvertently. Normally, I find myself thinking about yoga in more "traditional" settings, like adjusting my posture in my desk chair, or doing a few sun salutations in the mornings before scrambling out the door. However, I recently noticed this off-the-mat connection in two seemingly unusual places.
A few weeks ago, I had to endure an almost hour-long MRI and felt panicky when the technician warned me that if I moved even an inch during the scan, we would have to start the process completely anew. Knowing that I'd likely feel rather claustrophobic and fidgety, I started my own personal shavasana the moment that the technician slid my whole body inside the machine. Completely enclosed, for a moment I wanted to scream for them to let me out. But, I instead closed my eyes, allowing myself to become as comfortable as possible and as limp as a noodle. Throughout the whole process, I concentrated my mind on different parts of my body, breathing into the stillness that I felt and becoming more and more relaxed. Although the machine produced strange banging noises, I even dozed off at one point, still breathing heavily with my eyes closed. I was interrupted only by the voice of the technician, coming through over the speakers, asking, "Are you okay? Are you SURE?"
When the MRI was over, the technician pulled me out of the machine and I felt overwhelmingly relaxed and awaken. He shook his head in disbelief as he exclaimed that I was the best patient he had ever seen! Not a bad way to boost one's self confidence, in a strange way...
Alternately, yoga influenced a recent experience in a less beneficial manner. During any yoga practice, we are always aiming to be mindful of breathing. But whereas long inhales and exhales produced an overwhelming calm during my MRI, it was not so convenient while snorkeling in Shark's Cove in Hawaii. As a novice snorkeler, (plus the typical anxiety one may feel when visiting a place called "Shark's Cove", which ironically -and fortunately- did not have sharks) I felt nervous affixing the mask and tube, and while under water tried to calm my anxiety with deep inhalations, which each time resulted in choking on sea water and fully embarrassing myself.
It's remarkable how yoga influences our every day lives, making us react with the world around us in a different way. What are some conventional - or not-so-conventional - places that you bring your practice off the mat? Are there times that yoga has been especially beneficial - or had the opposite effect?
If you would like to share with us your experience of how yoga affects your life, please send me an email at rita.maximilian@gmail.com. All the entries (Starting with Cara's) will be found here, on our Blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment