Recently in Relaxation Category

This morning I followed a video from Yoga Zone. If the New Zealand video was gay yoga this is definitely hot LA woman yoga. It's led by a German-sounding guy with two leotarded yoga instructors demonstrating. It's called Stress Relief and Conditioning. Relief. Evaporation. Release. Opening. Unwinding. It's a little exertive at some points but generally these words are what it's about. Since yesterday I have also been sitting still for 10-15 mins twice a day. At the end of yoga and after work in the evening sun. Breathing is key to stress relief. It becomes very apparent when breathing fully is forced. To investigate a natural breath as I stretch. Awareness of breathing, awareness of stress and tension, leads to new possibility. Awareness is not tense. Watching is tense. A little snoring during lie down.

Hello shoulders, stubborn and strong
Hello pelvis, a weeping
Hello jaw, critically tight
Hello forehead, stern and wise
Hello legs, taking me there
Hello arms, paddling out, telling
Hello eyes, watching it all
Hello heart, the centre, the love
Hello brain, whatcha up to?
Can you all take a rest, while doing your thing?
It's all right.

Whatever might be happening, I am carrying on with the 'practice'. I am not sure what practice means, but it's not just a fair weather thing, sitting still, relaxing, yoga stretches. Today very stiff and tight after yesterday's hour and a half surfing then later a kilometer swim. I wanted to wallow in tiredness and lie in but so glad to gently stretch and then spend some time relaxing. I want to keep moving though, because of what's happening in my life - breaking up is hard to do. It's not breaking up - there's nothing to break. So, to continue. We don't know where.

Once I begin to explore relaxation I am so surprised to realise how on edge I operate most of the time. I'm tense, nervous, thinking all the time, worried what might happen next, what might leap out at me, inside or outside my body. I think this is pretty normal. What I can say is it is pretty usual. The evidence is all around. Added to our own tensions we stimulate ourselves to get through the day. So many coffee shops! Where did they all come from? Is it because we don't smoke so much any more we use coffee instead? And once day is done, have some alcohol. What are we avoiding? I don't know. I don't think I can know but I feel the urge to move move move, to stay on edge. You never know what might happen.