Sometimes restriction can be a support.
Real life examples:
I restrict the amount of chocolate biscuits my daughter consumes – she doesn’t like this but it supports her healthy diet and I do hope one day she’ll agree…
In ujjayi breathing we slightly restrict the breath so as to channel it. As a result it feels somehow more potent or powerful, like water channelled into a turbine – ujjayi breathing seems to generate energy!
Leaning in to the wall for support we might find we can let go of our tension. With the wall to press in to we may be able to deepen a stretch or sensation if we choose.
Tying our legs together with a yoga belt or scarf would be horribly restricting if we were trying to walk or run, but provides an incredible support when practising bridge pose or viparita karani (elevated legs up the wall). It is as if with the legs held closed, the chest can more easily open.
Stay still for savasana we restrict our movement, but deep within we may be deeply moved.
Restriction can be unappealing, but whether we resist it or surrender to it, there is an opportunity to grow, to open or to move.
I created this practice as a little exploration into this theme of boundaries and resistance.
