Yoga, Humility, and Sexuality

The ongoing daily experience of many days of Yoga affirms the importance of humility. At this point, I’m far enough along in the practice to not worry about what others are doing. I’m simply becoming more aware of my own body and how stiff I am. There are always ways to improve my practice. Today the instructor “modified” my positions in a way that allowed me to discover new parts of my body. Many of the modifications she helped me with where around hip openers. My guess is I would need a year of hip openers to do anything about them. I jokingly talk about my “father’s hips” which I inherited. They simply are stiff, and don’t move, and get in the way of flexibility regarding many more positions. Alas, it is a process, and a lesson in humility.

So it is true in sexuality. Sometimes my role is it the role of a teacher, and many times my role is that of a student. I continue to discover that there are many others who know more than me. I also know I am continually uncovering my own biases and barriers. And in many circumstances, I affirm that I have more to learn.

Namaste

Yoga lessons and sexuality, day 2.

In Yoga, you’re not a victim. You can modify, stop, or further enter into the position. This is the basic premise of any position. If a certain position doesn’t work, multiple modifications are possible to make it easier or more difficult depending on your skill. The same is true if the position is untenable. In some cases, you simply stop. And yet, some of the most growth occurs by entering further into the position. As the instructor says, “breath into the movement.”

So it is in sexuality. Sometimes we need to modify or change our sexual health concerns (such as our values, beliefs, cultures), or end something (perhaps a behavior, or bad relationship), or enter into some event and see it as an opportunity (conflict, sexual expression, desires, etc).

Yoga, Individual, Integrity, Intelligently and Sexual Health

While in Puerto Valletta, Mexico, for a well-earned vacation, I take time to attend Yoga as part of the vacation. (And, no, blogging isn’t work; it’s a type of journaling for me!) Today’s lesson was about being in the moment, a great thing to do while on vacation. The instructor also talked about how yoga is an individual practice that needs to be done with integrity and intelligently.

She explained that each student knows his/her body, and knows when to push the extra effort to fully enter the experience, and each student knows when to pull back. This is/must be done with integrity. The only one who truly knows is the student.

The individual practice done with integrity also requires intelligence. By this I understood intelligence to reflect wisdom, correct/good form, and staying at the edge of practice without going too far and hurting one’s self. Intelligence implies listening to the body, increasing self-awareness of one’s greater limits and personal limitations.

So to do these terms apply to sexual health. Your journey toward sexual health is YOUR journey. Only you know what truly expresses your heart of hearts regarding sexual health. No one else can tell you. Others may guide you, but you are the one responsible for the final choice. And sexual health requires wisdom, knowing and respecting your inner truth.

Namaste