Carmens May challenge on Instagram is about balancing (#balanscience). My approach to these monthly challenges are playful. I’m less ambitious as many asanas are too advanced. I don’t want to risk injuries. I reflect on certain asanas. Sometimes I try new variations to see if I can integrate them into my practice. Mainly it’s fun to be part of a group of committed yogini. Some asanas are so challenging that I leave them out. The starting point is sometimes already my end asana……..
Balancing asanas vary a lot. One can fall out of a sitting asana, that has a balancing aspect. This is more or less funny. One can also fall out of handstand.
How to conquer the fear of falling?
Learn first to fall out of a pose. Learn a somersault.
Have enough space around yourself. Often injuries happen, because the student falls against things (yoga blocks) or the wall or a piece of furniture. Years ago I fell out of headstand. This happened once to me in my lifetime. I fell against the corner of a wall. This hurt and I got a huge bruise. If I had space I would have been shocked, but everything would have been OK.
Imagine what to do when you lose balance. In the above pose I know exactly what I have to do when I move too far forwards. Chin to chin. Then I land on my head (bone) and not on my nose or face. Falling usually happens very quickly. Exercise the exit and you won’t be surprised if it happens.
How to balance?
Engage the abdomen.
Breathe evenly.
Keep the eyes calm, gaze towards a point.
Ground yourself. In bakasana (picture) I feel more stable, when I try to turn the hands on the floor. Suddenly I become also stronger and more stable.
All the balancing asanas give self-confidence when mastered.
The balancing asanas force the mind to focus on the presence. Dreaming and thinking often comes with losing balance.
Utthita hasta padangusthasana is a standing asana. It’s a challenge to balance on one leg. I’m rather good at it these days. Yet when I start thinking I start wobbling. I remember days when I could perform this asana already very good. Then I started thinking: Oh, today is a good day. Et voilà. I started wobbling. Balancing asanas train the mind to focus on an even breath and to keep the eyes calm. If the core is strong in addition one can enjoy these asanas. Balancing asanas can give the feeling of weightlessness.
Carmen shows a tiny variation of bakasana on Instagram. She lowered the head. This makes the asana more difficult. My next step is rather to stretch the arms. Strong arms and core strength is needed to lift the body. This makes is possible to stretch the arms. To jump into this pose is another step further.
There is always a variation that is a bit more demanding. For me it’s important to know my next tiny step. When this tiny step is mastered, the journey can go on.