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june / july 2018yogajournal.com.sgPHOTOS: JEFF NELSON; MODEL: COLLEEN SAIDMAN YEE; HAIR/MAKEUP: BETH WALKER; CLOTHING & JEWELRY: MODEL’S OWN
MASTER CLASS
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NOT A DAY GOES BY that you don’t have to make
decisions—from the big (Should I have a child?
Buy this house?) to the small (What should I get
my partner for our anniversary? Practice on my
yoga mat?). But it’s difficult to make decisions if
you’re living in a body with no space—in the
same way that it’s not easy to live in a house
that’s full of clutter. “Usually we don’t even
realize that we’re being shut down by excess,”
says Saidman Yee, “until we clean house and find
that we can breathe more easily. Yoga is the best
way that I know to clean house—mentally,
physically, and emotionally.”
The sequence here uses gentle backbends,
forward bends, and twists to help you scan your
body for tension and create the space that will
allow you to tune into your intuition. It is through
decluttering and expansion, rather thancontracting and getting hyper focused (a
common reaction to uncertainty), that you’ll be
able to release tension and free yourself from
being stuck in indecision.
Before you begin, sit for 10 seconds and
notice how much pressure is in your head.
Simply noticing this will cause a softening and
release. Bring this awareness to the following
poses, focusing on a decision you’re trying to
make. Do the practice for at least four consecutive
days, and if you can, follow it up with 20 minutes
of journaling. There’s evidence that 20 minutes of
daily journaling on a decision for four days can
bring clarity. Finally, remember: “Whatever
comes to light while you practice, trust your gut
and walk toward it; every option has something
to offer,” Saidman Yee says.Colleen
Saidman Yee’s
restorative
practice for
dealing with
indecision will
open up your
mind, body, and
heart to infinite
possibility.
Go with your gut