Trust
Trust...an interesting word, an elusive concept. We earn it. We share it. We respect it. We believe in it. We trust that the world is unfolding as it should. But, there are times when events occur that shake our confidence to the core. A wildfire destroys our paradise. Our financial stability is threatened. An illness knocks us down. We lose a person close to us. We are devastated. At times like these, it is difficult to trust that these events are providential. But the positive side of trusting in the Universe is that amazing things happen. When we trust in nature, the beauty of a mountain lake stops us in our tracks. When we trust in ourselves, we reach our goals to become the best version of who we can be. We when trust in each other, we find our strengths lift the spirits of others and our faults are accepted by those who truly care about us.
Sylvan Lake, Custer State Park, South Dakota
"I trust in myself."
Yoga Pose: Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose (B)
Supta Padangusthasana Version B
Use a yoga strap to expand this pose, allowing yourself to trust your strength and flexibility while you honor your limitations.
Foundation. Start supine in Badda Konasana with the soles of your feet together and your knees bent and released out to the side. Press your shoulder blades into the earth.
Position. Exhale and bring your left knee towards your chest. Keep your right leg bent out to the side. Loop a strap around the ball of the left foot. Place both ends of the strap in your left hand. Extend the left leg to the sky, pause. Then swing your straight left leg to the side, keep your right hip pressed into the earth.
Torso. Broaden your shoulder blades and use the strap to allow your back to stay engaged on the earth without curling your upper back.
Arms. Lengthen your right arm overhead on a diagonal, stretch your fingers long or set your fingers in a mudra if it feels right.
Hips. Keep the head of your left thigh bone deeply into the pelvis. Allow the left leg to lengthen.
Gaze. Soften your jaw and eyes. Gaze upward or close your eyes and enjoy the stretch. To come out of the pose, bend your left knee to remove the strap. Return the left leg to the earth.
B R E A T H E
[Repeat on the other side]
Nine Eagles State Park, Davis City, Iowa