Billy Ray Cyrus has this song that goes “Don’t break my heart, my achy breaky heart…” (a corny song, if you ask me).

But these days, I almost feel like singing to its tune “Don’t break my ARMS, my achy breaky ARMS!!!!”

This week I had gone almost daily for self-yoga at the gym. And I had been practicing doing my Chaturangas (4-limbed staff pose) coming from downward dog. Been trying to get that fluid transition right by going from Chaturanga, then pushing entire body forward and rolling over my toes so the toenails are on the floor, then sliding upward into upward facing dog.

It’s a tough pose to do. As you balance on all fours with your body straight as a pole parallel to the floor, your entire body weight is borne by the toes and wrists. All the more weight is put on the wrist as the toes release themselves and you find yourself trying to push up into upward dog merely on the strength of your wrists. And the abdomen does not touch the floor at all to give you some time to rest before pushing up again. Hooo0boy!!!!

Today I will give my achy, achy arms a break. My muscles are crying out “STOP THE TORTURE!”. I have splashed efficascent oil all over my upper arms so much so that I have ended up smelling like a walking model for camphor and menthol. But tomorrow I have early yoga once again. Thank goodness it is a basic class and I need not try to do anything fancy.

(Photo courtesy of Yoga Journal – www.yogajournal.com)