Not sure how it is elsewhere, but in New York, yoga class is a pretty solemn affair. I have been attending the same studio for 2+ years and very few people in the classes speak to each other.
I broke the ice the other night when I started talking to a fellow regular about sports we have played. I had a breakthrough in my forearm stand and figured out that I don't need 3 more feet of arm length...I need to lengthen my middle back instead of collapsing into myself. In my terms this means think of reaching up energetically through my back, instead of "stacking" my way up. I know, I know, IT'S BOTH.
We started having a conversation about mental imagery and understanding where one's weight or focus is in each pose. I told her that I often imagine sitting with my weight in a saddle in warrior/triangle/pyramid. I also imagine my weight as a bird balancing on a perch (my shoulders) in inversions. I was baffled that we were having a 5-minute conversation about this at all.
Interestingly enough, my upper back/"back heart" has been a major issue of space, knotting, and tension lately...it's trying to find its place in my practice. I have gotten this far without engaging it fully, I think an awakening is in order for fall...
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