Getting Emotional During Yoga?

 

As a yoga teacher, I am always reminding students that it is perfectly normal to cry during yoga, to feel a wide spectrum of emotion.  Today, the opportunity presented itself to me to practice what I preach.  While attending a wonderful sampler yoga class, I suddenly felt anger arise.  It felt odd in that I couldn't immediately place why I was feeling anger.  Anger, for me, comes up as a result of some judgment I've made about myself, some situation or someone else.  In this particular case, turns out it was me, the usual suspect. 

The Wonderful Effects of Lunar Yoga

 

 I was rather enjoying myself until we started the segment of Lunar Yoga.  Luna Yoga is directed towards women seeking natural ways in healing and/or maintaining health, especially in the fertile and sexual areas.  I must say, I am not too thrilled at the thought of creating any type of fertility, in the baby area anyway, if you know what I mean.  I'll be 45 in two weeks.  In addition to fertility, Luna Yoga specifically works in relationship to the lower chakras, the chakras that govern feelings such as:    

- Fight or flight which often resurfaces over and over if there is a lot of post traumatic stress going on    

 - Our basic needs including financial survival and personal security needs, an area in which I often find myself out of balance 

 - Our basic right to be here

And that's just to name a few!

  

  Self Criticism During Yoga

 

The poses are held longer than, say, a flow class.  As we were holding a deep lunge, we were told to take any weight off of our hands and fold over and let our heads hang down completely.  I found this very difficult, so I began to judge myself.  "Your arms aren't long enough Donna.  Your boobs are too big.  They're in the way.  Your hips are so tight.  What's wrong with you?  Why can't you just do it?"  And before I knew it, I had steam coming out of my ears and I felt like crying.  I had to back out of the pose a couple of times.  I finished the series barely able to contain myself and thanked God when the teacher for the last segment of yoga, Gentle Yoga, came and sat in front of the class to take us into relaxation.   

After class, I introduced myself to the Lunar Yoga Teacher, who was very sweet, and described to her the feeling that came up during that segment of class.  She said with a very kind and encouraging voice, "Wow.  Anger.  It really wanted to come out and leave."  Uhh, light bulb, Donna...Helloooo!  That statement really resonated with me.  That session gave new meaning to the phrase, "Let it go." 

 

  

[caption id="attachment_146" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="And the anger comes up..."][/caption]

 

 

[caption id="attachment_147" align="alignleft" width="224" caption="As I hold the pose, it travels right up through my body..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_148" align="alignleft" width="224" caption="Hips! I always feel it in the hips."][/caption]



[caption id="attachment_149" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Ahh, much better. Aren't modifications wonderful?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_150" align="alignleft" width="224" caption="Even better yet, resting the veins. Good thing since they were just boiling."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_151" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="At last, my favorite right before nighty night."][/caption]