I never realized how truly systematic a person of routines that I was until after six years of taking Yoga classes, while at home one day I gave myself permission to move my body as it wanted instead of into one of the many well-known Yoga routines.

Yes! There is a good reason for following poses with a sequence that melds poses into a full routine for a specific focus. But! it is also okay to give ourselves permission to play and to notice what our bodies are trying to tell us.

When I first began Yoga, I noticed many of the poses seemed very "familiar" to ways we had moved our bodies into positions as a child (such as the child's pose!) just for the fun of it!

I am discovering that when we allow our bodies to lead, they will show us what needs the help, work, or the stretch. I've noticed that sometimes I want to focus on my upper trunk, twisting it this way and that, moving my arms etc.

Other times I want to focus on stretching out my legs and reaching for my toes. It has been helpful for me to remember to use my breath for extending myself out towards my toes. Inhaling as I stretch out and exhaling as I surrender to the stretch.

What a great way to release energy! Sometimes I find myself creating a routine of several poses that seem to have no rhyme or reason yet when I review the progression of them it seems like my body intuitively knew just what to do and had created its own healing yoga routine of poses.