January Pose of the Month – Yogi’s Choice!

A New Year’s Resolution Challenge

By Rebecca Merritt

The author in Pigeon

It is your turn to pick the pose! This January, why not give yourself a bonus, yoga asana, resolution? When students participate in a yoga teacher training program they are often asked to give themselves one particular peak pose to explore along the way. The student picks a pose they find challenging or even frustrating.

When I did my 200-hour Teacher Training at New York Yoga, my peak pose was Eka Pada Rajakapotasana – One-Legged King Pigeon. First, I will confess that I am still no pigeon king. But I am much further along in my exploration and it is no longer a pose I get frustrated with.

Now it’s your turn!

Pick a peak pose to explore this year! Pick something you struggle with, or something you are intrigued by. It can even be a pose you think you will never be able to do – you will be amazed at how far your practice advances over time.

The point of the exercise is not to do the pose perfectly at the end of the year, but to try to focus on deepening where you are in your practice. Working on one pose helps you to notice how much you can achieve on your mat – physical and mental. This goal may also a useful tool to help motivate you to practice, practice, practice since returning to your mat again and again is the only way to move forward.

Who knows, by the end of the year you may not even remember what pose you picked, or you may already be working on something new. But perhaps your peak pose will help you see it’s all about the journey and encourage you to explore along the way.

Happy New Year!