Gardening and Yoga

Yesterday I spent 4 hours weeding and tilling a community garden plot that we recently became tenants of. Occasionally I would stop and check in with my body for back pain, any sort of repetitive motion pain, etc. I seemed to suffer no ill consequences, and was a bit surprised. In previous times in my life whenever I did something like garden for a period of time, I would have severe lower back pain and find myself needing to quit.

Even after coming home and collapsing into a deep-sleep nap from the fatigue I woke up refreshed and not feeling any physical ill consequences whatsoever.

"How does your body feel?" I asked John.

"Fine. I'm surprised that I don't have any aches or pains," He
replied. We both looked at each other....

"Do you think it's the yoga?" I mused.

"That's probably a big part of it, I'm sure." We both do yoga regularly. I do my 1-2 hours a day, and John does the Power Yoga by Rodney Yee maybe 3-4 times a week, tai chi every day, running 3-4 times a week, and then he has an Alexander session once every two weeks. The amazing thing about yoga is that it seems to be building not only my strength and flexibility, but also my endurance.

It was 10 o'clock last night before I could get my wiped-out body and mind back into the present and do my Power Yoga. I had a great, strong workout. How my body could endure 4 hours of gardening and then 60 minutes of power yoga baffles me. I think we totally underestimate the potential that is in our bodies.