I have always nodded “yes” with my head when I hear teachers and advanced students talk about experiencing an energetic opening during asana practice, pretty much in the same way I nodded when the nun talked about the holy spirit coming to live inside you during preparation for first communion. The nod pretty much meaning I know I’m the only looser here not feelin it. Today however, the teacher moved my legs in two opposing and impossible directions during Virabhadrasana 11 and I felt a scary crack in my sacrum (I think) then, lots and lots of space to stretch in opposing directions! I think that was it. I gave upon the holy spirit, awhile ago, who must still be laughing at the very I idea that it has to travel to visit people…
Serene Flavorful
inspiration yoga pretty things tasty things fearless kindness
ha ha ha, loving your recent insights, beautiful!
Let’s see if there is still open space tomorrow morning….;)
I remember feeling similarly when I first heard about the energetic shifts, but then started to feel them myself back in February this year and it’s continued since then. Mine are not when I’m adjusted, actually they seem to come from time to time in savasana where i either experience a huge jolt in one or both of my my legs, or feel like i need to let out a huge sound…”PHAHHH!!”. it’s kind of uncomfortable because i feel like i can’t control it, and something tells me it wouldn’t be the done thing in a busy mysore room
I just started doing regular yoga nidra too and having the same thing. something tells me there’s something in my body that wants out! But the point is that anything is difficult to believe until you have experienced it yourself. That’s why I have to just nod and smile when I hear some of the more dubious sounding claims that go along with this practice, because maybe a few more years down the line I’ll be the one telling that tale…
Goodness Mel, I’m both fascinated and terrified by this tale! I sometimes feel a zing going down my arms during rest, but nothing like what you describe. About yoga Nidra, how do you practice it? I’ve only done I twice but It has been a guided meditation……
Weird huh? it’s mostly like a zing, but a bit more violent! the trapped noise thing happens quite rarely thankfully. it first happened when I was in Goa, then I went through a peak the month after I did Reiki training in April, and now seems to be coming back again. I’ve started seeing an ayurvedic practitioner and he gave me a copy of a Rod Stryker yoga nidra which I’m supposed to do nightly, and I have found this weird sensation when I have. oh and then last night I did this castor oil belly wrap (layered up with fabric soaked in oil, shrinkwrapped with a hot water bottle and covered in blankets) lying in supta badda konasana for an hour and had all *sorts* of weird trippy energy movement stuff happening (and then i fell asleep like it for another hour and had peculiar dreams) I should probably write about it on my own neglected blog though instead of hijacking yours, sorry!!
Please highjack as often as you like, but it is sort of selfish of me because I’m sure many more people would want to hear about this. Thanks for the yoga Nidra tip. I’m going to get myself some of that. I hope castor oil on your belly is not an injury but part of your Ayurvedic treatment…
I should consider that due motivation to get my backside-in gear and get writing sometime soon – the longer I leave it the harder it’s gets as there’s so much to say! And yes the wrap is part or the whole gamut of ayurvedic treatments I’ve been given, not an injury
Thanks for sharing, sereneflavor. I feel that this topic of energetic openings is one of those things in Ashtanga that is not talked about enough. I am going to write a post about this very soon.
Good to know Nobel. I can’t hear enough about this topic. Like they say, without the energetic & spiritual component it’s a groundhog day workout.
just as a little update (as i never got round to blogging about this – yet!) i mentioned the jolts during yoga nidra (and savasana) to the ayurvedic practitioner today, and he told me they were (childhood) traumas leaving my body. Which is probably why it doesn’t seem like much fun when it happens!! It’s a bit different from an energetic opening though as you were originally talking about, so I will try not to veer off topic in future
Way more interesting than sacrum cracking.