No Pain No Gain

I've always thought I've a high threshold for pain. But after 3 lessons of Rope Yoga, I'm on the verge of giving up.

Adding on to my knee abrasion that is still an angry red patch, I now have broken blisters in between my toes, slight rope burns and a bruised thigh. Unlike other fellow students who no longer have the strength to pull themselves up the rope, I have the strength but can't do anymore postures because I can no longer grip the rope with my toes.

Still I have no regrets. So far, I've managed to do lotus and inverted lotus, standing and sitted forward bends, corpse and even headstand postures hanging on the rope. It was really a sense of achievement when I completed a sequence of poses in the same take. Next will be the inverted tree (left) and bow poses.

Rope Yoga is very different from normal 'land' yoga. Those who excel in yoga will not be able to do Rope Yoga if they cannot conquer 3 fears -- Height, Hanging upside down, and Pain.

I remember clinging firmly onto the rope the first time Guru asked me to let go of my hands when my legs were hanging upside down in a split position. But after doing it, it becomes much easier the next time. I realised it’s really about letting go the fear of being topsy turvy and losing all your orientation (Yah, I can’t even differentiate between my left and right hands when I'm hanging upside down).

In real life, if we are willing and ready to let go of things -- relationships, career, material things that we can’t have – many of which are beyond our control, we’ll be much happier creatures on earth. And all the shrinks will be out of jobs because no one will be depressed and they have no more patients ; )