It felt like my body was made of rumble strips as I lay on the massage table today and LauraLee tried to smooth me out.
I said, “I’m really trying not to seize up and armor against your touch, but it’s hard.”
She said, “It’s okay to experience some productive pain.”
That concept of “productive pain” has been ringing in my head all day. I’ve been thinking about all the “take-aways” from my recent training and one of the big ones was precisely this idea of productive pain.
The style of yoga that sends me, that transforms me, that changes me biologically and spiritually and emotionally is the kind that has me on my knees begging for release (figuratively). And when that release comes, in the sweetness of that release, I understand myself.
Productive Pain.
For other people, productive pain is not the goal. No pain is the goal. Relief of life pain is the goal. Life is painful enough without adding long holding times, shaking (churning), and the tapas needed to burn off topor and sloth.
And I get this, I do, and that’s why I lead a mostly soft practice most of the time. But without the productive pain of tapas (discipline), the rumble strips in the body, and in the psyche will never be smoothed out.
Inspiration Location 