This past week I went to York with an acceptance lesson plan to honor the women’s resilience after a week of lock-down. These are women that listen to music, read novels, and write letters to feel connected with the freedoms and the people they miss. When I can speak of their resilience under stress I feel that they are not forgotten or invisible. I view myself as a bridge between the narrow confines of prison and the outside world.

In my lesson plan for this week I included a reading from Rachel Schaeffer’s Yoga for Your Spiritual Muscles which speaks of our body as a bridge that can lead us from struggle to forgiveness. Sometimes when we are still, we can sense the flow of activity around us more clearly without having to enter in to the drama. We can be like the steady bridge with the tides ebbing and flowing beneath us.

The bridge posture, when held until sensation builds, builds heat and energy in our bodies. Slight changes in pressure in the feet change the tilt of the knees and the tension in the buttocks. Pressing more or less into the shoulders or arms shift the curvature of the spine. Experimenting with deeper breathing and micro movements  keeps our attention on the sensations within our bodies. We notice where our bodies open to breath and where they feel more constricted in any given moment. We can choose to relax  and find our equilibrium as sensations eddy through us.

The Bridge Pose is a heart opening back bend which can often buoy are spirits. When we feel isolated or frustrated, a postural reminder to nurture our own  hearts can help us to open our compassion towards our neighbors as well. When we feel better emotionally, situations and people around us seem more accommodating. Have you noticed that when you are rested and relaxed, your days flow more easily? When you are exhausted and tense, do you find everything and everybody more difficult?

Here is the full class:

Acceptance & Sadhana Prayer PFD