In the early days of my yoga practice, one of my teachers noticed a pattern. The poses I didn't enjoy (whined about) were all heart openers/back bends, like camel, bridge, cobra, and fish (pictured above). With that awareness, I was able to explore what was going on there.
In February, we often lean into the Hallmark vibe of Valentine's Day - open hearts, love, and compassion. This year, we're going to dive a little deeper. We started the month with a return to center—reconnecting with support, steadiness, and breath. We'll continue with an invitation to something both simple and profound: the courage to feel.
In yoga, heart-centered practice is not about forcing openness or chasing emotional experiences. Instead, it is about developing the capacity to remain present with sensation, breath, and inner movement—especially when those experiences are subtle, complex, unfamiliar, or even a bit uncomfortable.
The heart space, associated with Anahata, the heart chakra, is often described as the meeting place of opposites: strength and softness, joy and grief, expansion and protection. To practice here is to allow multiple truths to coexist.
Many of us are conditioned to move quickly away from discomfort. When sensation intensifies—whether physical or emotional—the nervous system often reacts by bracing, distracting, or pushing through. Yoga offers another possibility: curiosity without urgency. When we slow down, breathe steadily, and remain grounded, we begin to notice the difference between sensation and story, between feeling and reaction.
Working with the heart also means acknowledging vulnerability. If you also tend to whine about heart openers, this is for you. Openness is not the absence of protection—it is the ability to remain connected to ourselves even when sensations are tender or uncertain. This is where courage arises: not in pushing past limits, but in staying gently present.
As you come to the mat this week, consider this reflection:
What happens when I pause long enough to feel, without needing to change anything?
You may discover that the heart does not need to be forced open. When supported by breath, steadiness, and awareness, it opens in its own time—quietly, honestly, and with wisdom.
In February, we often lean into the Hallmark vibe of Valentine's Day - open hearts, love, and compassion. This year, we're going to dive a little deeper. We started the month with a return to center—reconnecting with support, steadiness, and breath. We'll continue with an invitation to something both simple and profound: the courage to feel.
In yoga, heart-centered practice is not about forcing openness or chasing emotional experiences. Instead, it is about developing the capacity to remain present with sensation, breath, and inner movement—especially when those experiences are subtle, complex, unfamiliar, or even a bit uncomfortable.
The heart space, associated with Anahata, the heart chakra, is often described as the meeting place of opposites: strength and softness, joy and grief, expansion and protection. To practice here is to allow multiple truths to coexist.
Many of us are conditioned to move quickly away from discomfort. When sensation intensifies—whether physical or emotional—the nervous system often reacts by bracing, distracting, or pushing through. Yoga offers another possibility: curiosity without urgency. When we slow down, breathe steadily, and remain grounded, we begin to notice the difference between sensation and story, between feeling and reaction.
Working with the heart also means acknowledging vulnerability. If you also tend to whine about heart openers, this is for you. Openness is not the absence of protection—it is the ability to remain connected to ourselves even when sensations are tender or uncertain. This is where courage arises: not in pushing past limits, but in staying gently present.
As you come to the mat this week, consider this reflection:
What happens when I pause long enough to feel, without needing to change anything?
You may discover that the heart does not need to be forced open. When supported by breath, steadiness, and awareness, it opens in its own time—quietly, honestly, and with wisdom.
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