I just finished my first Adamantine® Yoga practice since having a cesarean delivery just over 2 weeks ago, and the one word that keeps coming to my mind is “freedom.”  Wow, it felt good to be able to move through the entire sequence without extreme modifications.  Yes, I have some restrictions on what I can do physically, but for the most part, I was able to some version of each posture in the sequence, which I haven’t been able to do for months.

Before I began today, I have to admit that I wasn’t having the greatest day and my perception and outlook on life wasn’t serving me well.  And I very easily could have given up during the standing sequence because I was struggling with getting Scout settled in for her nap and had to stop multiple times to meet her needs.

But I didn’t.

I persevered and finished with more mental clarity than I have felt in quite some time.  And my body feels really good after the movement as well (I even jumped on one of our bikes and rode around the yard with my 2-year-old riding his bike…something I may not have thought I had the “time” for before I practiced today).  As I’ve said many times before, yoga is not just about movement and gaining flexibility or strength.  Those are wonderful side effects of a dedicated and consistent yoga practice, but the true reward is altering your perception and gaining a sense of freedom from whatever it is that traps your mind and causes you to hold onto things that don’t serve you.  Be they tensions in your body from mental stress or stress in your mind from ailments in your body or other outside forces.  When you can open your mind to the fact that these two concepts are actually one in the same, you allow for a greater exploration of self, bringing forth transformation.

Let go of personal deceptions.  Practice daily.  Life will seem lighter and give you more freedom just where you are needing it the most.