One of my favorite yoga teachers regularly offered the option for students to practice the wheel pose. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the wheel pose, it is an intense backbend that requires strength and flexibility. While some people are able to enter into this pose fairly easily, others may find this pose impossible — even after years of practice. My teacher wasn’t able to safely enter into wheel pose, so he had an advanced student demonstrate instead. Because he didn’t demonstrate wheel, he demonstrated something much more valuable — the importance of listening to your body. 

Pain can provide valuable feedback if we listen to it. It can let us know that we’ve gone too far or done too much. I encourage you to listen to your body, and move in a pain-free range of motion. Some poses or exercises might not be appropriate for you, and that’s okay. There are so many poses, exercises, and modifications. If you aren’t able to do one, there is a good chance that you can get similar benefits with something else.    

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy week!