Who's in your driver's seat?

When the ego is in the driver's seat you will inevitably end up going down the wrong way on a one-way street. The problem is that you may not realize that you're going down the wrong way until you're headed
for a head-on collision. Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic here but you get the idea. It's never a good idea for the ego to be in control.

I let my ego lead my practice on Sunday and I'm still paying for it today. Typically I only do the asanas
that I like and can do without too much effort during my home practice, with the exception of wheel pose.
I love, love, love wheel pose!!

  
This, my friends, is wheel pose.  This asana is always a challenge for me but when I accomplish
Urdhva Dhanurasana it feels awesome!  It's exhilarating and gives me rush like no other pose.
But, without proper preparation, it gives me a pain in my back and wrists.  With the ego in the driver's seat,
I pushed up into the pose without properly warming up and the head-on collision was my back screaming
at me.  With every challenge there is a lesson - the lesson here is always take the time to properly prepare!!
Anyway.......

Here are a few reasons why I practice this pose:
       *The physical challenge - (that's the ego talking)

       *It helps me open my heart and throat chakras

       *It reminds me that I have more strength physically and mentally

         than I give myself credit for

       *It gives me a burst of energy that I sometimes need

Normally, these would all be good reasons to practice wheel.  However, on Sunday, the reason was not about opening my heart or increasing energy.  It was about feeding my ego.  The act of pushing into the pose was my way of pushing the negative self-talk out of my head.   When done properly, consciously, Urdhva Dhanurasana helps overcome self-doubt but not when it's done forcefully from a place of ego. 

In every challenge there is a lesson.  The lesson - ahimsa (non-harming) applies to our own bodies and minds.  The other lesson here, is to be conscious of our actions and our intention always and never let the ego in the driver's seat. 

**Here's my disclaimer:  Please use caution when attempting this pose. The complete instructions for wheel

can be found on the yoga journal website or you could take a yoga class with a certified yoga instructor- hint, hint -- come to class!