Let go and fly.

A friend recently suggested we try a Wall Yoga class. ”Uh…sure,” I said, not at all sure of what I was in for.  “It’s kind of like assisted yoga,” she explained. “These straps help hold you up so you can find the most incredible release.” 

She had me at "assisted".

It started off innocently enough - some breathing exercises, warm-up stretches. And then our not so bad-looking instructor brought the straps out. 

Big sturdy straps with a waist belt that he hitched up to hooks high above our heads, creating a kind of remedial circus trapeze.

“Just stand with your back against the wall and position the belt in front of your hip bones.”

“Pfff! Easy peasy. ” I thought to myself.

“Now just lean forward and walk your feet up the wall,” he instructed.

“What the..?” I thought, as I looked wildly at my friend. “What do I do with my arms??” I shouted as my lower body started lifting off the ground while my arms flailed and my upper body dive-bombed towards the floor. 

“Deep breath…deep breath…” the instructor coached. “Just raise your upper body up slowly and let the strap support you. Let go…let go…LET GO!!” he ordered, peeling my fingers from the stretchy fabric of his warmup pant legs.

That’s when it hit me. 

This wasn’t about me trying to force my body to do something, this was about letting go and letting myself experience something. 

Revelation: It wasn’t all up to me!

Slowly, I unclasped my death grip, I raised my upper body off the ground, letting the trapeze cradle me as I took baby steps up the wall. I extended my arms out to my sides like a bird taking flight for the first time. 

And the more I let go and let the apparatus support me, the further I could stretch, enjoy and discover new possibilities. 

No more struggling. Just flying weightless and free.