Learning My Lesson

This is a month of firsts! On wednesday evening, I gave myself my first yoga injury. I could blame the teacher (who was pushing us really hard without any alignment cues), but it was really my ego. Everyone around me was trying to jump from a short-stanced down dog into handstand, why shouldn't I?! If the girl with tiny arms could manage to do 4 side crows in one hour, surely I could. And why the heck not pop up into wheel (an intense backbend I'd intentionally avoided in the past) because YOLOOOOOOOO!

Where it hurts. 

Not YOLO. I strained my rotator cuff, meaning that it hurt to turn the steering wheel of my car, lift my arm above my shoulder or even hold my arms out to my sides parallel to the ground. The muscles that prevent the bones of your upper arm and clavicle from creating a vortex of misery when you move your arm are, in my case, out of commission for awhile. Whoops. That's what happens when you let an overzealous teacher and daredevil yogis drown out that voice inside you that pops up every once in a awhile to say: "MY BODY DOESN'T DO THAT".

Lesson: no matter what, listen to your body. Even if the girl in head to toe LuluLemon looks awesome in that forearm stand, even if you think the teacher's cues are explicitly singling you out for taking a few extra breaths in child's pose, you will be better for it.

I think I'll be limiting myself to classes at Tranquil Space from now on, where I will be able to (not so) proudly wear the scars of my battle with ego and safely practice yoga without worrying about further damaging my gimpy body.

XO,
KCZ