(This blog was originally posted on September 20, 2016)
I noticed something very interesting during yoga this morning. As I
stood tall and still in the “mountain” position with my feet flat on the floor,
I could just detect the tiniest of swaying motion of my body as my muscles and tendons
worked to maintain my balance. These movements were so miniscule as to almost
go unnoticed. But they were there: constant adjustments of the various muscles,
tendons and internal organs to keep the body completely balanced and ready for
anything. I could imagine the lightning-fast neural (subconscious)
communication between my brain, inner ears and the muscles in my legs and
abdomen as I consciously worked to hold this position.
This experience was just one example of how my body strived to maintain physiological
homeostasis
(balance) during the class. Other examples were increased breathing and
pulse/heart rates or adjust my stance when transitioning between poses or when
I had to work harder to maintain more intense positions. And then something
really interesting happened. About halfway through the class, even with the
more intense positions and exercise, my breathing and heart rate seemed to
return to a more normal rate for me. Even though I was still working hard, but it
was like my body had become used to this work and was compensating for/working
more efficiently to achieve those positions.
Achieving mental/emotional homeostasis during the class was more
challenging for me. Once I made the initial observation about how my body was
working to stay in balance, my mind started racing. Wow! This is so interesting! I know what I will write my blog about
tonight! It took a few breaths to get focused on what I was doing, and supposed
to be doing: practicing yoga, not writing about it! Unlike my physical body,
which automatically made adjustments to achieve homeostasis, my conscious mind
had to intervene and bring my thoughts, emotions and focus back to what I was
supposed to be doing in class.
Ultimately, I did learn a very important lesson today: Even when my body
(and mind) is completely still, it is always moving.
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