Snap, Crackle, Pop (Kinky)

I can still very much recall when it happened.

About three years ago I had taken up a yoga practice and was getting pretty regular at it. Up until that time I would say I had a fairly bad (but common) posture of rounding my back all the time.

Well one day while in downward-dog, my shoulders rolled back a bit and my back straightened in a way that - quite frankly I'm not sure ever had - and there was a very intense *POP* in my spine right between my shoulder blades. It wasn't a bad pop, in fact it was one of the most insanely pleasurable things in my entire life.

I remember going to a friend's house that evening with my wife and feeling like my body was floating on air - like some sort of kink that I had carried for years was finally blasted open. In fact to this day, I still like to stretch against a wall and recreate that "pop" (though it is now a fraction of the intensity it was that first day).

It's amazing what happens when we butt up against resistances, knots and tough situations and - instead of recoiling in fear - find what it takes to blast through. We've all got quirks and kinks and while some must be accepted as limitations, others are ready to be blown through to find release and freedom on the other side.

Asana-na-na...

This is an interesting article about whether MUSIC is helpful -or- distracting in a Yoga class. As usual, I can definitely see both sides (though I tend to lean on the pro-music side personally).