Stop & Rest: Even If In A Max Strom Workshop

Here is the Tweet I sent at 7am today:

Body saying Stop Rest or face injury/illness!

 Will have 2 wait till tmrow tho. Today is 

Yoga in the Park & then Max Strom wkshp 2! 

I am physically exhausted and I know the body can only do so much before it goes into self-protection mode and shuts itself down with either an injury or an illness.


I know this. I've experienced it many times. Too many times, in fact, that I should have learned the lesson by now.


But, I was busy today! 


The day started off with Yoga in the Park. A nice group showed up, the sun was shining and the breeze was blowing as we began our practice together. As I led the group I found myself repeatedly clearing my throat. And getting froggier and froggier each time I tried to fix my voice.


By the end of the hour my voice was very close to being all the way gone. Well at least I made it through class I thought. (A more mature response would have been - this is a warning sign I need to stop and rest!)


Instead it was off to day two of yoga workshops with Max Strom. Meeting him was way beyond cool and I wanted to soak up every word he said. I'd read his book A Life Worth Breathing - in fact I've read it twice now - and even wrote an Elephant Journal post about the book.


I left the first workshop last night inspired and keyed up. Today I entered session 2 tired and dragging. In fact I just lay on my mat waiting for the session to begin rather than socialize with the other yoga teachers in the room.


It was, as expected, a wonderful class. And when we went into savasana I really went into savasana. Yep, I did what so many yogi's are afraid will happen - I fell asleep.

Me and Max Strom

I don't mean just dozed off for a second. I mean drool rolling down my face and oblivious to everything around me sleep.


And oh how good it felt!


When Max rang the tingsha bells to bring us back, my first thought was "did I really just do that?" Followed immediately with "can't I have just a few more minutes here?"


I needed that rest today, as much as if not more than, I needed to learn what Max had to teach me. 


Or, perhaps that is the lesson. A lesson maybe he didn't intend, but the lesson I obviously need to learn.


When the body says stop! rest! - we should listen and stop and rest.