CROW POSE - BAKASANA
In my early yoga days I attended a vinyasa class that was very dynamic and challenging. My first experience with crow pose (Bakasana) was from that class. I was intimidated but I do enjoy a challenge so gave this pose a try. I did not come into it straight away, I struggled to get both feet off my mat, and my arms were incredibly shaky. I gave this pose one try, and as soon as I fell out of it I sat back and waited for the instructor to take us into our next sequence. I watched the others in the class attempting their crow, some fell out and some balanced with grace. The ones who fell out reacted differently, some laughed and giggled, some jumped back into it straight away, some didn't. Everyone had their own experience with it.
The instructor shared some words of wisdom at this time, these words have stuck with me ever since.... "How you show up on your mat, is how you show up in life."
I let that sentence sink it for a bit. The reason I came out of attempting crow was because I was afraid of the others seeing me fail. I took it very serious as I wouldn't laugh at myself. I was afraid of falling, I was uncomfortable with being a beginner and for others to see this.
The awareness sunk in, I did not only feel this way about a yoga pose, I felt this way in general as I carried on with my daily life.
There was a lady who was a beginner with crow pose just like me. She wouldn't give up, she would fall out and when she did she would laugh and than try again. She inspired me. From that day forward I set a goal, I wanted to laugh at myself more, release my fear of letting others see me fail. Next yoga class I continued to come into crow, I fell out and would try again. I will admit I've fallen on my face before, I laughed it off.
That shift I made in my yoga practise, in that room, with that group of people had such a positive impact on my life. Even though it took time for me to overcome how I felt about being a beginner, releasing seriousness, laughing more, and letting others see me fail. I can say that with time the shift happened within myself in all aspects of life.
Every time I come into Crow ( Bakasana) I am reminded to embrace beginnings and drop the seriousness. I become filled with gratitude for my yoga practise.
