I started off 2017 by setting an intention with a practice of 108 Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) at Practice Indie. A Sun Salutation is series of asanas (postures) that is a great way to build energy for your practice. Almost all of the yoga classes I attend start off with a few repetitions of Surya Namaskar.

To explain Sun Salutations, let me share my experience with the sequence. I start off in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) and as I inhale, I sweep my hands up overhead. I always smile as I start off. I feel strong and grounded. I feel calm and centered within my mind. During Tadasana I feel connected to the earth. As I begin to exhale, I move into Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold) as I bend forward at the hips, keeping the spine as straight as I can until I need to bend into the forward fold to bring my chin in so I can look at my legs. I try to bend into the fold as much as I can. The feeling of my hamstrings opening up and stretching is a nice feeling. Once my exhale is complete, I inhale and move into Half Standing Forward bend as I lift the my chest and gaze up, placing my hands on my shins to maintain a flat back. I tend to have issues in this pose because I forget to engage my core and bring my belly button in and up. This adds pressure to my lower back and can be very uncomfortable. As I exhale, I move into Chaturanga Dandasana, which is referred to as a yogi push-up. I plant my hands and junp back to a high plank. After the first few repetitions, I have to change this to a step back. I cannot maintain the integrity of a jump back after the first several repetitions of Surya Namaskar. After I finish exhaling, I shift my weight forward and lower down until my elbows are at a 90° angle. The arms at this position are referred to as ‘Chaturanga arms’. I have to remember here to hug my elbows in close to my body. This is key for this pose and it helps maintain stability. The entire movement of Chaturanga is done on one exhalation. This can be difficult, especially when moving slower and taking the time to pay attention to my body as I move from pose to pose. As I inhale, I shift forward into Upward-Facing Dog by pressing down through the feet, placing the tops of my feet on the mat, drawing back the shoulders and opening my heart. This is a lot to remember as I move from pose to pose. I often have to fidget a bit in this pose as I remember to shine my heart forward and keep my shoulders away from my ears. As I exhale, I tuck the toes and use my core muscles to lift the hips into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog), keeping a straight line going from the wrists, shoulders, spine and hips. This is a resting pose and is maintained for five breaths. I really enjoy Downward-Facing Dog. I used to dread it but now it truly is a resting pose to me. I can relax as I press down into my mat and take a moment to evaluate my body, breath and mind. Down-Dog is a great pose for a quick reflection. After the fifth exhalation, I look forward between hands and bend the knees and jump up so my feet will meet the hands. I recently had an ah-ha! moment with this transition. By using the exhale to engage my core muscles and using my bent knees to jump, I can easily make this transition work for me. This transition is done in one exhalation. Once my feet are at the top of the mat with the hands, I inhale and come back to Half Standing Forward Fold. As I exhale, I move into Uttanasana once more. As I inhale, I rise up with a flat back and raise my hands overhead and move them into heart center and then come back into Tadasana. Once I settle back into Mountain Pose, I feel a sense of contentment come over me. At this point, I just completed one Surya Namaskar!

Given everything I experience throughout one repetition of a Sun Salutation, I was quite nervous about such a vigorous practice. I was not confident that I was ready for such a long class. The one breath, one movement aspect of Sun Salutations can be a struggle for me after the eighth repetition. I knew this would be an intense and hopefully, a rewarding practice. The sense of accomplishment I feel is deep. I also feel exhausted. I know that I will be feeling this practice tomorrow. All of the chaturangas, upward facing dogs, downward facing dogs, etc. will catch up with me at some point and I am sure that I will be aching as a result. However I will take any aches and tight muscles with a smile on my face. I feel grounded, centered, and ready to take on 2017.

At the beginning of my practice, I set an intention for 2017. I want 2017 to be a year of self-discovery. I want 2017 to be the year I get to know my body and learn its limits. I want to push myself to the edge and even then push a bit further. I want 2017 to be the year I not only listen to my body, but also my mind. I want to dig deep and unearth my soul not only to myself, but also to the world. What I hear from some of my teachers is that Yoga Teacher Training will definitely help me dig into my inner mindscape and get to know myself on a deeper level. I am already self-aware on many levels, but my goal this year is to deepen that self-awareness.

I began learning how to be self-aware while working on my graduate degree. A large part of the MBA program I studied is learning how to identify traits in yourself that affect how you work with others. Leadership skills rely upon knowing how your personality affects how you work with others. As part of my personal development, I want to take this further and truly get to know myself.

Self-awareness is only a part of self-discovery. I want to lay myself out, study myself, and be completely honest with myself about what I see. When I think about this, it seems scary. What if what I see is something I don’t like? What if I am not the person I think I am? Being completely honest with yourself is the only way you can be truly authentic. That is what I am searching for this year.