Sitting In It

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Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana….pigeon. I used to hate this pose...It is the reason I almost decided yoga wasn’t for me. It was in a college elective class, which I almost failed bc I didn’t want to go. It felt like the instructor included this pose specifically because she didn’t like me.

I watched the clock the entire class but in pigeon time moved so much slower. Most of my students know this whole story because I share it in class (come to class to hear the rest).

There is always a pose that takes us to the edge, always people who push our buttons, always situations at work, with family or friends that aren’t satisfactory and makes us want to throw our hands in the air and be done with it all.

That’s the edge. That’s the line we have to learn to walk each day.

This pose is now one of my favorites. It has taught me patience, perseverance and to trust myself.

Most importantly, it has helped me follow the Four Agreements - the one I struggle with the most - “Don’t take anything personally.” Yoga is so much more than shapes on a mat. It’s life lessons in each and every breath. I don’t know what I would do without my practice.

Sarah Russell