Last week in yoga class we ended the class with Bow pose.  This is the pose where you lay on your stomach, grasp your ankles with your hands, and pull your chest and feet off the floor.

We did Bow three times in a row.  The first time I grasped my ankles and pulled off the floor, no problem.

The second time, the teacher came over, gently took hold of my ankles, and pulled back.  My chest opened wide and  lifted off the ground and I felt my whole body move upwards about three times higher than my previous attempt.  The teacher asked, “Too much?” and I responded, “No, it’s fine.”  And strangely it did feel fine.  The post was probably more strenuous, but I felt the front of my body open in a way it never had before and my legs and back felt incredibly strong.  After a while the teacher said to rest.

The third time I pulled back and felt my body reach the same deep bend as before, only this time my muscles were doing all the work.  I was at the limit of my own abilities, but it was invigorating to see how a year of yoga had changed my own limit.  Strangely, I actually enjoyed the deeper third bend more than my first attempt, since the third bend was a sign of how far I’d come and how far my body could now bend.  It felt great to be able to do a deep pose using my own power, without any prompting or assistance.

Thinking back on this practice, it occured to me that I’ve extended a lot of my personal ”limits” over the past year.  I think part of this growth is due to yoga practice – feeling my body push past its physical limitations helped prepare me to overcome spiritual and mental obstacles. 

Here’s hoping I can expand my boundaries in the coming year as easily as I stretched my body in bow pose.