Stepping into your courageous heart

As I am going threw this second weekend of my immersion I am realizing that there just isn't enough time to discover and learn everything that I want or need to know in this setting. This weekend focused more on upper body with particular attention to the shoulders. My shoulders have been giving me some problems lately and I have been stuck as to how to work with freeing some of the blocked energy. I have been trying to find the connection of the shoulders moving down the back and the expansion of the heart. Keeping the shoulders safe has been a big issue for me since I have had some shoulder injuries in the past that have been very debilitating at times.
Recently in class I decided to give some prep for handstand. The response was interesting, the part I love is that the majority of my students say they could never do handstand because there arms aren't strong enough. When they come into L pose at the wall they are able to hold themselves up, arm strength isn't the real issue with these students. The real issue is that they are afraid. Fear holds them back. Fear can be a big motivating force but when not properly balanced it can be very debilitating. Being courageous in the face of fear will lead to greater freedoms.  Since the theme for this weekend is shoulders and upper body my thoughts have turned back to the message of courage. Apoaching the difficult aspects of life with a courageous and open heart working towards a balance, learning to dance with the divine.

Practice, practice, practice...

What 8 year old hasn't been told countless times to go practice the piano (tuba, guitar,or what ever instrument of auditory torture it happens to be) and given the traditional eye roll and "Oh, Mom". Then sits down and begins to hammer out some scales and perhaps a bit of a piece of actual music while being reminded that "Practice makes perfect". My question is does it make perfect? What is perfect any way? Who's measuring stick are we using to determine perfect. In some areas my measuring stick may seem inadequate to some people. Let's redefine perfect as continual practice. Everyday get up in the morning and practice being kind to yourself. Practice being kind to other people. Practice patience, love, caring, understanding.
In my yoga practice I sometimes get frustrated with my far from perfect body. My hip that gets bound up somewhat easily. My hamstrings that sometimes seem too short to allow me to move into a pose that I have been working to achieve. My arms that at times seem too short. This is the instrument that I was given and I have to learn to be patient when things seem to be beyond my grasp. I suppose that the thing that I most practice is opening to Grace. Following the first weekend of Immersion this idea of open to Grace was utmost on my mind. As we head towards the upcoming second weekend I am still coming back to that first principal. It is the first principal for a reason. I am beginning to wonder if it shouldn't be the third, fifth, seventh, and ninth as well. Not to say that the five Principals of Alignment need to ne tampered with but just that the first principal has become more pervasive in everything I do.
So tomorrow we practice everything! Perfection is everything!