Usually I limp into my Friday, grateful that my long week is over, and I generally don't practice on Fridays. Maybe that's where I went wrong.
The howling winds woke me up earlier than planned so I showered and decided to spend some time on my mat. Nice and simple. Some pranayama, squatting, vajrasana, virasana, padmasana, and meditation. The perfect little TGIF practice. Feeling great, I got dressed and headed downstairs to feed the pets and walk the dog. Halfway down I lost my footing, and was suddenly sliding down, trying catch myself with a growing pain running up my left side. When I came to a stop at the foot of stairs all I could do is groan and try to collect myself while assessing my situation. Once I was on my feet, I realized that nothing was broken - obviously - and that at most would only be a bit sore and perhaps a little black-and-blue.
The lesson? Well there's more than one. First: wool socks on a wooden staircase means ALWAYS use the handrail. Always. But the main take-away is that a healthy body is my friend in moments like these. Moving my body dynamically, strengthening my muscles efficiently, and cultivating better circulation regularly, on the one hand means that I occasionally have some muscle soreness. But because I balance out everything I with regular breaks and days off, the bounce-back doesn't take long. A balanced yoga practice really does prepare you for anything and everything that life can throw at you. Sitting here on my couch alternating between cold and heat I can feel where my leg is going to be little tender for a day or so but I'm okay with that. I didn't end up in the ER. I'm reminded to trust my instincts and to trust my routines. Today was supposed to be a day of rest after a couple days of intense practice, exploring some deep shapes. In the end, it has been. I get it. Tell the Universe I'm listening.
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