As mentioned in a previous post, both me and my friend and guest blogger Auriel learned Garbha Pindasana and Kukkutasana recently, and it’s been interesting to watch our very different bodies adapt.  Auriel is lean and flexible.  Bendy poses come easily for her, but strength work can leave her breathless.  I have the opposite problem.  I start panting in poses that open and lengthen my body.

Garbha Pindasana and Kukkutasana require both strength and flexibility.  My hips need to be open enough that I can slip my paws through my legs while in full lotus and rest my face in my hands.  Then I rock ‘n’ roll on my back to come full circle before pushing my palms flat on the ground and floating my body above them, gripping my lotus legs around my arms to hold them in place.  Then I throw the whole shape back to vinyasa.

While Auriel slides her hands in and out of her gorgeously folded legs with ease, I have to spray down my arms with water to lube them through.  Part of this is because of my bulky Pitta muscles. I’ve probably got about twenty pounds on Ms. Flexy-Bendy. There’s just more practitioner to deal with!

So sometimes, whether or not a pose is “easy” depends more on body shape than ability. I have to remember this when I start beating myself up for not being able to “do” a pose.

-Emma

There we are…I’m on the left. See how much bigger my calves are?