Editor’s Note: This is a guest post series entitled “Living Your Dream Life” by yoga teacher and life coach Laura Erdman-Luntz. This is article 3 in a series of 4. First read Article 1 and Article 2.
Living Your Dream Life Series by Laura Erdman-Luntz
- Article 1: You Can Live Your Dream Life
- Article 2: Manifesting – Personal Strength: It is All in the Feet
- Article 3: Manifesting – Bringing the Dream in
- Article 4: (Coming Soon)
Are you afraid of your dream?
Did you know, deep down, your dream, whatever it is, scares you? Fascinating isn’t it? Our deepest dreams represent our true self, our authentic, genuine place and that place scares us. That place is where our power is, our strength. It is just like Marianne Williamson says, it is our light that most frightens us not our darkness. We have a deep fear of feeling our power. We are comfortable with our status quo, even if it isn’t comfortable. (Quite a paradox we have to work with!)
What do backbends have to do with achieving your dream?
Tammy feeling her power in back bend
Luckily we have yoga that can change our energy. So, what can you do to open yourself up to more wonderful? The first step I covered in my last post, feeling strong on your feet and engaging the legs. The next step is backbends! Backbends give us energy, they open our hearts to the world (countering that slump, with its lazy energy and tendency toward the status quo, we discussed in the last post.)
Ustrasana – feeling your power
Now, while all backbends open us up to more wonderful in our lives, it is Ustrasana (Camel Pose) that is the most powerful. Ustrasana puts us directly into a fear place. To understand this concept, we have to remember that we are animals and as such have primal issues. The main primal issue is survival. To feel safe, we need to protect our front side. The “kill” zone in the wild is the throat and the soft tissue of the belly. For this reason, Balasana (Child’s Pose) is one of the most relaxing poses. You feel very secure and protected in this pose.
Now take Ustrasana…it takes great courage to expose your kill zone to the world. Yes, I know you are in a yoga class or in the privacy of your own home not in the Serengeti, but you get the idea. Not only does it take courage to do the pose, doing it gives you more courage.
Plus, you are literally opening your heart to more goodness; in particular goodness that will come to you when you feel the courage to go after it.
One of the ways I practice this pose with my classes is to have the students hold the pose at the point just before taking the hands to the feet. Often we sink into the pose when we take the final step with the hands to the feet, losing many of the energetic, power and strength building benefits of this pose.
Opening to your dream in camel pose (Ustrasana)
Karen shows us Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
How to: Get on your knees to prepare for the pose. Feel long through the body and draw the tailbone down, keeping the buttocks broad. Open the eyes of the heart. Breathe. Take your arms by your side and externally rotate them strongly to open your heart more and begin the back bend. Lift your heart to the ceiling. Breathe. Begin to bend back slowly and with complete control. Experience your power deeply. Keep lifting your back ribs out of your lower back, further opening your heart. Stay activated without rigidity. As soon as you grip or slump, you will lose the “opening to the dream” benefits of the pose.
Breathe in and feel the power and excitement you receive!
Next up in the series: Surrendering to the present moment
We have now felt our personal strength and opened to our dream. What is the final step to this process? To surrender with grace to the present moment. I will discuss that one in the next post…
Join Laura Erdman-Luntz, MA, E-RYT(500), Life Coach for a powerful coaching series. Ignite Your Life will launch you into the life of your dreams, into more joy and vibrancy. Incorporating a workbook, yoga, visualization, and breathing exercises into the coaching format, this program is a powerful way to change your life!
You can contact Laura directly via her website or leave a comment for her here.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Great article Laura. Can’t wait for the final installment. I am reminded how great Camel Pose feels when I do it properly.
A big thanks to Laura for writing such an excellent piece. I am going to keep a hard copy of the article for later read…
Tony Smith
http://www.aafter.com
Enjoyed the article. I’m sure you meant to write Ustrasana.
Dariece – You are correct. I made the corrections. Ustrasana is camel pose. Uttanasana is standing forward bend.
I love Ustrasana! You have to surrender and have faith to really benefit from this pose. To just BE in the pose when stuff is coming up and not reacting…brings about so much strength!
Kat Rogers’s last blog post..Are you motivated or better yet inspired?
thanks for the review
i love to looking forward your next interesting review again
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