Ebb and Flow

On Tuesday, I wrote about the yoga practice of alternating types of postures. After contractions come extensions, backbends alternate with forward bends. This practice mirrors the natural ebb and flow of energy in our bodies, in our work, and in our lives. Yoga practice teaches us to be aware of this natural rhythm and, over time, can teach us ways to both honor our experience and find ways to guide our energy along different paths when needed.

We have different ways to describe our own energy. We may be wired or tense or we exclaim that we can’t settle down. Conversely, we may feel sluggish, distracted or simply tired. Sometimes it’s both at the same time. One day in the middle of a multi-day dance competition at which I had danced a lot of heats and had a wonderful time, I was both exhausted and so wound up I couldn’t sit still. I told Peter that I felt like a four-year-old who doesn’t know how to manage all these conflicting feelings and therefore can’t manage to do anything to do but cry. I did manage not to cry that day though it was close. But I didn’t try to sleep – too wired, or keep running around – too tired. What I did do was practice one of my favorite yoga poses.

Legs Up the Wall Pose

Legs Up the Wall pose sounds much more elegant in Sanskrit, Viparita Karani and it means reversed or inverted action. It’s a simple pose and looks exactly like it sounds. Your torso is flat on the ground, your tush up against the wall and your legs extended up the wall. You can add to the posture by placing a pillow under your hips to add a bit of elevation. Your arms can be by your side, extended out from your shoulders or lying on the floor over your head. Legs up the Wall reverses the flow in the lymphatic and circulatory systems in your legs and at the same time provides the upper body with a gentle boost in circulation toward the heart and head. “The benefits of Viparita Karani derive not just from inverting an action but also from inverting the whole notion of action. When you relax with your legs up the wall, you are practicing the polar opposite of activity, which is receptivity.” https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/legs-up-the-wall-pose

https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/viparita-karani

Self-awareness helps us notice, understand, and when needed balance the many ways energy ebbs and flows through our body and through life. Understanding our own rhythms and honoring them when we can helps us be more effective in choosing our responses to the situations we face. Recognizing when we have to behave in ways that are contrary to our natural rhythms helps us cope with the resultant energy drain and manage our physical and emotional energy more effectively. When we acknowledge that ebb and flow we can better choose how to respond whether that’s finding the right yoga pose, assisting a staff member to understand a new task, or giving yourself and your colleague a chance to step away for a moment and then come back to solve the current problem. The solutions are many. The skill is identifying what you are experiencing and picking the one that works for you – and knowing that it might change over time. The ebb and flow of energy is continuous throughout our days, our work, and our lives. Self-awareness can help us enjoy the benefits of this rhythm over time.

Take care,

Gage

Meditation: