To pounce is defined as a, “spring or swoop action”. A cat pounces on a mouse, I guess as a kid I’d pounce on the person hiding when I played hide-and-seek. Perhaps I pounced on my opponent during one of the netball matches I played. However, I never thought that given my physical limitations I’d be able to perform this springy action again.
Last week, after lots of yoga practise, I did a “bunny hop” type pose, both of my feet left the ground in unison. It might have only been a tiny movement, perhaps only a few centimetres off the ground, but the elation I felt at that second made me feel that all my practise had been worth it. I even did it a few times afterwards to make sure I could do it again, I could. The thing is, I’d resigned myself to the fact that since my stroke I would never feel that ‘mid-air’ feeling of jumping again. This movement though has opened up so much possibility in my yoga practice. I feel like more challenging poses are worth attempting.
For example, in a yoga class a few days later the yoga teacher instructed the class to, “lightly pounce or step to the front of your mat”. I love that yoga’s so adaptable and there’s an easier option. It’s the easier version that I always do. However, after proving that I could jump, I thought I’d try it. Maybe I was being too cocky but I took a deep breathe, squeezed my eye’s shut and sprung forwards on my aqua mat.
Well maybe I didn’t ‘lightly pounce’ as I’d been instructed. In fact I made a belly-flop sound as I splatted both feet on my aqua mat. But I did pounce. I wish I had it on video. I pounced forward, I sprung, I leaped in the air. I never imagined that I could’ve bunny-hopped or pounced a week ago.
Amazing how the elation and confidence you gain from overcoming one obstacle or something that you rendered ‘impossible’, leads you to being able to attempt so much more.
What is it in your life that you’ve put in the “too hard basket”? Consider attempting it again, you may surprise yourself.