In Others’ Words: Stand Up

I took a fall this week.

Actually, I face-planted on my blue yoga mat attempting the Crow position. The instructor comforted me by saying she’d done the same thing, calling it “Pecking Crow.” My rendition of the move was more like “Crashing Crow.” And the black and blue bruising on my face attests to the fact that my nose is not meant to bear all of my body weight — not even for half a second.

In spite of my injury — and the firm conviction that I will not be attempting the Crow again anytime soon — I don’t regret what I did, or rather, didn’t do.

Reality is, I face-planted on purpose.

Oh, yeah, call me crazy. But I was being intentional in yoga class when the facial faux pas occurred. The instructor said, “Next, let’s move into the Crow position,” and began to instruct the class on how to do just that.

And I decided to take it slowly but, also thought, “Hey, why not take the pose up a notch?” Of course, that meant I had to contort my body in a gravity-defying position and balance my legs on my arms …

My attempt? A complete and utter failure.

I have the bruises to prove it.

But while choosing to take it up a notch may not have been the wisest thing I’ve ever done, here’s the rest of the story: I finished the yoga class. In the past, I would have slunk out of the room and locked myself in a stall in the ladies restroom and whimpered, from both pain and embarrassment. But this is the year of Confidence, right? And, since I wasn’t bleeding all over my mat, why not finish the class? Yes, my nose was swelling, but that’s no reason to quit.

I fell down.

I got back up.

And I’ll be back to yoga in the next day or two — I’ll just skip the Crow, thank you very much.

 

In Your Words: I’d love to hear about a “fall down seven times, get up eight” experience in your life. Bruises are not required.