Day 4 of 31: Poor Mr. Peppers!

This morning I woke up quite tight in the hips, a bit achey in the lower back, some pain in my sesamoid, and just a bit tired. Sounds like one of our favorite yoga games to play called “Poor Mr. Peppers,” which not so coincidentally was part of our sequence on Thursday. It’s a super silly, creative game where each little yogi adds an ailment to Poor Mr. Peppers as we move around the circle and try to recall each pose. This game can be played in both a yoga setting or classroom setting. It’s highly entertaining and even adults get super into it. We learned this during a Rainbow Kids Yoga training in L.A. last summer and has been a favorite here in Chicago ever since.

On Saturday mornings, Meg and I make it a routine to voyage to Zen Yoga Garage for a delicious hot yoga class with the always present and powerful instructor, Monika. Seriously, this amazing woman always knows exactly what you need before you do. As if she wrote the sequence just for me, Monika’s juicy class consisted of hip opener after hip opener. Oh boy my root and sacral chakras are so in love.

Monika began as she always does articulating words of wisdom and strength.

Be whole in motion.

The phrase that stuck with me as we gathered in Supta Buddha Konasana, a reclining bound angle pose with such restorative benefits. This idea of being whole has been a theme in my life for quite some time. It’s probably one of the most transparent reasons I “do” yoga. Time and time again, I am reminded of how connected we are in mind, body, and spirit.

Being whole requires a commitment to seeing this connectivity and choosing to move in this direction.

Being whole nourishes relationships, both within ourselves and others.

Being whole opens us to new sensations.

Being whole fills our cup, bringing out the best in us, so that we have enough to pour out.

Being whole. Recognizing when we’re not, accepting it as fleeting, and being able to move through these shifts.

Be whole in motion.