Time to Check In (July 2023 Newsletter)

I have a busy schedule or at least that’s what my Google Calendar tells me. Running to work, doing things around my house, remembering I said I’d go to dinner with a friend after yoga. By the time I’m laying my mat on the ground, I have to remember to check in with my body before Sipra asks me the inevitable “what are you here for?” question. What hurts? What’s tight today? How do my shoulders feel? Before I started yoga in 2018, I wouldn’t pay much attention to my body unless it was very wrong. Now, I’m so much more acutely aware and each day is different.

Sipra often says to not worry about anyone else and worry about our own practice. It’s something I take to heart. Instead of focusing on how deep someone can get in their stretch, I check in with myself and why I was able to get deeper in a fold yesterday but not today. Am I sitting on my tailbone? Is my lower back tight or hips? Some days I can get lower. Some days I need a modification. Having practiced for so long and gone through different injuries, with Sipra’s guidance, I’m so much more empowered to advocate for my body and its needs in practice. It doesn’t bother me to take a knee or use a block when my hands can’t make it all the way to the ground. It’s what my body needs that day or every day and that’s what makes my practice unique. It makes it easier to listen to my body in other places like the doctor’s office or working out. It’s the best gift yoga has given me. The ability to be present in my body, feel and listen. To do that, I have to stop, breathe and check in.

Namaste,

Alex Cook, YWB Student