you are what you make up your mind to be.

It's amazing to me how the mind-body connection works. Fascinating. Fire Log. Ugh. I hate doing fire log. Whenever a teacher instructs us to move into this posture I let out a groan and secretly curse them for putting me in this super uncomfortable, super challenging pose. Bah. But today my hips were pretty open and my mind was open as well. As Katie moved us into this pose I just went with it, and mentally didn't fight it. Well, go figure. I did it. And it didn't hurt {well, it wasn't god-awful!}, it actually felt pretty good. So go ahead - embrace poses that you usually loathe. It's amazing how having a positive outlook and an open mind can take you to places you never dreamed you'd go. You are what you eat, and you are what you make up your mind to be. Fire Log Pose aka Agnistambhasana

Step by Step

Sit on one edge of a thickly-folded blanket, knees bent, feet on the floor. Lightly shrug your shoulders up, strongly roll the heads of your upper arm bones back, and press the bottom tips of your shoulder blades into your back.

Slide your left foot under your right leg to the outside of your right hip, and lay the outer leg on the floor. Then, stack your right leg on top of the left. Be sure the right ankle is outside the left knee (so the sole is perpendicular to the floor).

If you have more flexibility in the hips, you can slide your left shin forward directly below the right to increase the challenge; otherwise, keep the left heel beside the right hip. If you're tight in the hips, you may find that bringing the ankle to the outer knee is difficult or uncomfortable. In this case, simply sit with your shins crossed in Sukhasana (Easy Pose).

Press through your heels and spread your toes. Keeping your front torso long, exhale and fold forward from your groins. Be sure not to round forward from your belly: Keep the space between your pubis and navel long. Lay your hands on the floor in front of your shins.

As you inhale, notice how your torso rises slightly; when it does, lengthen from your pubis to your sternum. Then on the next exhalation, fold deeper.

Hold 1 minute or more. Inhale the torso upright and uncross your legs to come out of the pose. Repeat for the same length of time with the left leg on top.

Just last week I got into the full King Pigeon Pose! It was amazing.