In this photo, Karen demonstrates Puppy Pose. Photo by Fred Padilla.
By Karen Watson Reeves
As we turn to the last page of our 2023 calendar and I reflect over the past eleven months, the word that comes to mind is humility. The word comes from the Latin root word “hum,” meaning “ground.” And it has certainly been a year where I needed to feel grounded.
My mother’s death in early January changed my life, my perspective, and my groundedness in ways I never imagined. She lived a long and good and mostly very healthy life. It was time to leave her earthly body.
But it felt like the ground was no longer steady under my feet. I no longer had my greatest supporter and biggest cheerleader just a phone call or text away. And the literal ground, the house and five acres where I grew up in Mount Holly, Arkansas, the place I could run to and feel safe and sheltered and loved no matter what passed on to another family (for which I am so grateful, by the way).
As I have done a lot of praying, meditating, soul searching, and crying during these months, I have felt so humbled to have grown up where I did with the people I did. The ground in south Arkansas is sacred to me as the property I inherited supports me financially, and my extended family there continues to support me emotionally.
My yoga practice and teaching also ground/humble me and help me feel more joyful. Teaching others this practice has been so beneficial to me. We learn to let go of the ego, knowing we will stumble and fall and misalign. Yet we find the humility to get up and try again, and we remember this lesson as we get off the mat and move into our daily routines.
So what does Puppy Pose, sometimes called Melting Heart Pose, have to do with humility? It is one of the more grounding of all the yoga postures, as we lower the fronts of our bodies (that vulnerable space) so near to the earth under us, our hearts melting down in gratitude and humility. There are several physical benefits of Puppy Pose, but as I practice this pose today, I just want to focus on the release in my hips and shoulders (where a lot of tension and grief are held and stored). I want to release my heart, my love, as close as possible to the earth where I grew up and to the home in the background and the people there who molded me, who sustained me, who loved me unconditionally. And if that is not humbling!!Karen Watson Reeves has called Hot Springs home since 2006. Owner of The Yoga Place, at 301 Whittington Avenue, she became a registered yoga/children’s yoga teacher in 2011. When not on the mat, Karen enjoys the beautiful outdoors of the National Park, especially from her bicycle. For more information about her studio and her schedule of classes, visit www.theyogaplacehs.com.
