Learning to listen to the pose

Today I practiced with a fellow teacher whose class I've taken only two times before. She is a skilled sequencer and offers a challenging flow with beautiful chanting before class accompanied by her harmonium (an instrument used in Kirtans that looks like an accordion in a box).

During class she worked on opening our hips with a variety of poses - and we were invited to move into Skandasana at one point.

All yogis have a "groan pose" - the one they inwardly cringe upon hearing being called out in a class - and for me, skandasana is one of those. Typically, I feel off balance in it, my back foot doesn't flex and it just feels, uncomfortable.

The saying goes, "the pose you avoid, is the pose you need" so I do try to do my best whenever skandasana is on the menu for the day. Today it felt good enough for me to snap a couple of photos after class.

The message here is to listen to the body, but also listen to the pose. What is it telling you about your flexibility, your strength and your level of openness or tightness? The answer may surprise you.