By Gretchen Spiro, Women’s Quest yoga instructor
“If you had time for only one yoga pose in a day, what would you choose?”
Do we do the pose that our body enjoys the most?
Or the pose that we feel we “need?”
Should we consider what we might do to balance our system based on the other things we are doing that day?
All of the above!
We get into the tyranny of decision-making if we try to think about it too hard. When we have a lot of options, often we end up not doing any yoga at all.
I have been fretting with this question all week. Resisting it. One pose?!? Downward facing dog pose is excellent for our entire system. Legs up the wall is perfectly restorative. Squatting is so good for the ankles, knees, hips and lower back. Core strength postures are challenging but important. Which to choose?
A radical perspective is that the choice of Any One Pose can be a profoundly impactful move for your well-being. Perhaps it is less about which posture you choose than the revolutionary act of getting on the yoga mat for 2 minutes and Just Doing It. Yup. That simple. If you are tired, get on the mat and fold into childs pose. If you are feeling low energy, get onto the mat and do warrior 1 lunge. If you are feeling frazzled, get on the mat and challenge your system to do a balance posture. The refrain is to GET ON THE MAT. 2 minutes. One Pose.
For me, today, I choose bridge pose. I have been at my computer all morning working on my 2018 taxes, which is a necessary grown-up but not-delightful task for me. (I’ve been trying to sit up straight but admittedly I get a little hunched over peering at bank statements). Bridge pose will be a good counter-pose for my upper back [computer-y] posture, which will in turn make my neck feel better. My hip flexors, which have been folded into a 90-degree position while sitting, can certainly use some lengthening. I am stepping away from my desk NOW, setting my iPhone timer for 2 minutes, and rolling out my mat to do bridge pose. One pose. I can manage that.
What is your One Pose for today?