Let Your Body Mold Like Clay

Rishikesh, India

    If you think of your physical body as clay from the earth, then it is easy to mold your container into any shape. The asanas find their origin from the different animals that roam the earth. The intention is to invite your body to take the shape of the pose intuitively, without forcing the shape, but rather letting it unfold with grace.

    In the poem Sleeping in the Forest by Mary Oliver, she eloquently describes the sounds and sensations of the earth. She captures the pure essence of nature and completely embodies it into every aspect of her being. Read the words of her poem and notice how you feel.

Sleeping in the Forest

I thought the earth remembered me, she took me back so tenderly, arranging her dark skirts, her pockets full of lichens and seeds.

I slept as never before, a stone on the river bed, nothing between me and the white fire of the stars but my thoughts, and they floated light as moths among the branches of the perfect trees. All night I heard the small kingdoms breathing around me, the insects, and the birds who do their work in the darkness.

All night I rose and fell, as if in the water, grappling with a luminous doom. By morning I had vanished at least a dozen times into something better.

     The next time you roll out your yoga mat, take notice of your hands and feet, how they move into and out of the poses, and how they touch the earth. Notice how your body assumes the shape of the pose like clay being molded by an artist. You are the artist, the earth your palette, and your body the clay. Remove the layers you need to and add space where it feels squished. This is the practice, this is the journey, and you are the explorer. Explore!

Om!

Mary Jane Feng Shui Yoga Girl - www.fengyoganj.com