I love riding my bicycle in the summer. It’s good complimentary exercise to yoga and the added pleasures of feeling the wind on my face, smelling the sea, hearing the birds all adds to the experience. I think it was Robert M. Pirsing writing in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance who said that driving in a car (or riding a bus, train, or subway for that matter) is like watching television. Letting the world touch me makes my soul smile.
My cycling seems to make others smile too, because I have often been asked why I look so funny when riding my bike. Namely my posture is very peculiar when compared to other people’s cycling postures. Looking at myself in a window I had to admit they were right, I lift torso as if I am utkatasana (the powerful or uneven pose). I had not really noticed this until I saw it myself, which pointed me to another lesson about yoga.
As our bodies find correct alignment we recognise that, “Yeah! this is how I like it to be.” The chest loves to be open, the back enjoys length, and our joints want stability and space. Once you discover this, it’s hard to go back. My body looks for correct alignment no matter what position I am in, without my thinking about it very much. This has resulted in my posture while riding my bike. Common issues with cyclists include back and neck strain from hunching forward. My body wants to have an open chest and a long back, so almost unconsciously I lift up my rib cage as well as lengthen down my tailbone. You can watch this action in my paschimottanasana video as I lift my arms to lengthen my torso. Then my body feels right (and I look silly).
This is one of the great benefits of yoga. Slowly but surely your body will guide you to what is healthy and up lifting. From riding a bicycle to just standing in line at the checkout counter of your grocery store, you will instinctively feel when your body is at it’s best and most comfortable. Have you had a similar experience? When does your body tell you that it’s likes what you are doing?
