Be nice!

Bah! Tonight's class was one of my most difficult, maybe the hardest so far in this challenge. I was low on energy and felt nauseated for most of the class. I sat out several postures. I am not gonna beat myself up about it, but it is a bit disappointing.

Tonight's class was taught by J, the comic book/cartoon fan, and during savasana, he gave us a little pep talk that I loved. He said, "Sometimes we try to tell our bodies what to do, and maybe we aren't so nice. If you order it, like, (mean, gruff voice) 'Do this posture better!' , your body might get scared and respond like, (timid voice) 'Oh, no, I...I don't think I can.' . So maybe what you should do is just invite your body to do something differently, or just ask it nicely. When people ask me nicely to do something, I always want to try."

J's funny voices and the sweetness of his little lesson made me smile. And it struck a chord with me--I have definitely been that person in class who is grimacing and tensely trying to force my body into a deeper expression of a posture, forgetting all about breath, ease, and grace. I've been impatient and critical with myself, and sometimes very unrealistic. I'm supposed to be looking into the eyes of my own best teacher there at class. I ought to at least be nice to her, eh?