Your Yoga Practice as a Poem
Stanza means room in Italian. A room is a space set aside for a specific purpose. In poetry, it’s a group of lines that holds a thought.
What would a stanza be in your yoga practice?
For example, do you practice Sun Salutations? Your Sun Salutations might unfold something like this.
In Mountain pose, inhale arms up. Extend as if you could touch the roof of the sky. Exhale fold forward. Release into the depths of the Earth.
Bend your knees and place your hands on the ground. Step back with your right foot and then your left into Plank pose. Stay strong in your core and be one long line from the crown of your head to your heels.
Bend your right knee in and place your right foot between your hands. Stabilize into your feet as you raise both arms overhead, palms facing each other. Lift your heart as if you’re elevating it to be embraced by your hands. Take a breath and enjoy this stable, joyous moment. Exhale, fold and return your hands to flank the right foot. Step back with the right foot into Plank pose.
Bend your left knee in and place your left foot between your hands. Stabilize into your feet as you raise both arms up overhead palms facing each other. Feel the energy shooting out the tips of your fingertips. Take a breath and enjoy the strength and structure of your body. Exhale, fold and return your hands to flank your left foot.
Draw your right leg up and place your right foot next to the left. Again, in a forward fold, surrender into the solidity of the ground. As you inhale, bend your knees and raise your arms up overhead. Finding Mountain pose again, place your roots deep into the ground and lift your heights to the stars.
Feel your connection to something larger than yourself.
How is this Sun Salutation alike or different from yours?
Are your Sun Salutations a space to hold your spirit, your breath, or your movement?
What are you aspiring to do with your yoga practice?
If your practice were a poetic stanza, what purpose or thought would it hold and express?
This article originally appeared on Christa Fairbrother Yoga.
Get free guided meditations for the pool.
Christa Fairbrother is an aqua yoga coach and trainer. She loves to connect with anyone who loves spending time in the pool and is interested in making that time more mindful.
