Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Cravings.

I have been thinking about cravings a lot lately. In the past, I have mainly known food cravings... I have learned to understand what my body needs when I crave certain things. Cravings chips or french fries? I'm lacking salt. Craving fruity candy, gummy bears? My body is longing for vitamins and fruit will do the trick. Sour candies? Lacking vitamin C of course! Chocolate? Oh-oh, better eat something and quick!! Salmon? My body wants protein...

So yeah, food-wise I'm pretty "in tune" with my body's needs. But recently I have had cravings for yoga postures, particularly these:

Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimotthasana or Separate Leg Stretching Pose (picture from Bikram's official page)

Pada-Hastasana or Hands-to-Feet Pose (amazing picture from here)


These new cravings pose a question of course... what do they mean? I'm assuming I don't crave the posture for the posture's sake. I've never particularly enjoyed these postures. Actually, now that I think about them some more... they are both postures in which I am slowly "making progress", by which I do not mean that I look like the pictures above. But I feel like I have finally "understood" the postures... where I have to release, where I have to engage... and yes, I guess I am slowly moving towards the full expression (forehead on the floor or locked knees). More importantly though, I know how to work into the posture correctly, to get all the benefits it can provide for me... (even if it doesn't look picture-perfect.)

Aha! -- What are these postures' benefits then? They both strengthen the lower body, the legs, and stretch the spine.... aaaaah, stretching the spine... something most of us can benefit from, huh? In addition, the first posture massages the abdominal organs and improves flexibility of the hips, pelvis... Sounds good to my office chair-bound body!

So my guess regarding these cravings is: my body is longing for more stretches for the spine and the hips as I am sitting in my office chair for most of the work day. Either way, I'm really enjoying these postures during my classes now! :)

Have you had yoga posture cravings? Which one? And can you tie these cravings to something your body needed at the time?
Posted by at
Labels:

5 comments:

  1. EvaAugust 24, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    I heard that when you crave for salt, it could also mean you need more vegetable fats (Avcados...).

    The only yoga posture craving I've ever had is the one where you stretch your arms to the sky and then bow left or right over the hips. I guess it has to do with the pain in my back, which probably needs to stretch more.

    ReplyDelete
  2. SimmmAugust 24, 2011 at 11:22 AM

    Hi Eva!

    interesting about the avocados! I will try that next time I crave salt and see what my body says :)

    Oooh, you're craving Half Moon! Maybe your spine is not only craving the stretch, but also the strength that this posture will give you. It's such a hard posture, but you get great benefits! A stronger back, stronger core/abdominal mucles, stronger shoulders/arms... so much easier to sit up straight, just like the physio therapist wants us to ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. MarkAugust 27, 2011 at 8:01 PM

    I crave Eagle only because I can now hook my foot behind mt leg on both sides! That one and Final Spinal.

    ReplyDelete
  4. MichelleAugust 31, 2011 at 9:58 PM

    I have been craving standing head to knee pose for weeks now. Not sure if it has any deep meaning yet though, but I sure have been pushing myself in that pose. Maybe I'm craving a challenge b/c that pose is so hard!

    ReplyDelete
  5. SimmmSeptember 2, 2011 at 3:32 PM

    Mark and Michelle, yesss, isn't it awesome when we make progress! Yaaay, can't stop progress :)))

    PS, Michelle, your SH2K is AMAZING!!! So strong, very impressive! <3

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)