Do couples meet by coincidence or by fate? Our lovers' lives are intertwined, but just how intertwined are they? This time Lady Fate grants our heroine her wish of moving to California. Like a Princess her wish is granted, but does that mean she'l...
I slipped into the yoga studio where Anjali taught and watched her teach the last half hour of her class. Unable to meet her for lunch tomorrow or the following week, we'd agreed to go to dinner tonight after her yoga class.
I stood hidden to watch her without being noticed. Having never taken a yoga class, I had no expectation or knowledge of how her class compared to any other class.
Anjali walked around the studio as she instructed her students on the next asana (pose).
"We will do the crow pose, known as Bakasana in Sanskrit. I'll demonstrate so you're welcome to come closer to my mat to have a better view. Bakasana is an important pose as this is one of the first arm balancing poses, you'll learn. This pose strengthens your wrists, forearms, and abdomen while stretching your upper back. Can everyone see me?"
A few people moved so they could watch Anjali better. I had no idea what the crow pose was and what she would do.
"Squat down and push your elbows against the inside of your thighs while your feet are flat on the ground. Hold your hands in Anjali mudra and look ahead. This pose is called malasana. If you're afraid of balancing, you can hold this pose."
She looked around to see how the class was doing.
"A key thing to remember is that while your elbows are pushing out, your thighs are pushing in, so it's opposing forces at once. You should feel your body working. You're balancing the push and pull of your body. It takes time to get it right. Similar to real life, always being pushed and pulled into different directions, find the balance with the things that push and pull you in life."
Anjali looked graceful, as if it took no effort to get into the pose.
"Once you're comfortable place both hands in front of you about six inches away from your feet."
She demonstrated exactly where she wanted her students to place their hands.
"Now straighten your legs but not fully, keep your knees slightly bent but transfer some of your weight onto your hands and lean forward. Bakasana is all about distributing your weight in just the right position. Now, I know this sounds odd, but I want your knees to get up into your armpits or as close to them as you can. And as you place your knees there, take the outside of your arms and push the flesh in with your knees."
She demoed what it looked like to pull the flesh of your arms in. I had no idea that one yoga pose could be so complicated. And it didn't even look like she was close to finishing her instructions.
"As you do this, you will bend your elbows and push your feet onto their toes. You know what's coming, right?"
She pushed all of her weight off of her feet and her entire body was balanced on her arms.
"When you get the right positioning, your feet will float off the ground. If you're nervous, lift one foot at a time. You can put a blanket in front of you if you think you will fall. Keep your drishti, your gaze, looking forward. If you look down or at your feet, you're more likely to fall down."
It was an odd pose, but she made it look graceful.
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