How many times has your yoga teacher said, ‘Listen to your body’, in class?  Depending on your attendance, you’ve heard it dozens or even hundreds of times.  Maybe you’ve rolled your eyes or silently wished she’s pick another cue. Or maybe you’ve thought, she’s just saying that to cover herself so she doesn’t get sued if something happens during practice.  All of the above are probably pretty rational ideas.  But most likely, she’s coming from a place of experience.

Over Labor Day, I injured myself during a long run.  Three days later, the injury presented itself as a calf cramp, and I blew it off thinking better hydration would be a quick fix.  Sitting on the x-ray table at the doctor’s office yesterday, I wondered how I had let things get so out of hand.  Really, it was because I had failed to listen to all of my body’s cues.

Besides yoga, running has always been something I can count on.  It has provided me sanity and wonderful friends not to mention a fantastic cardio workout and a body that can now withstand many physical pressures.  In the almost ten years that I’ve been a more serious runner, I’ve never been injured.  When my calf began to cramp to the point that my pace slowed to a crawl, I kept going, knowing that skipping my long runs would mean time without my friends.  When my shin began to throb, I soldiered on figuring that I had upped my mileage but that my body would adapt.  I had definitely begun to confuse physical effort with physical pain.

So, now I take a step back.  Running for me is like yoga, a lifelong pursuit.  I’m in it for the marathon, not just the sprint.  And before long, i imagine i’ll be hitting the pavement.  So, now I listen to my body and the cues it gives me in my cardio workouts and in my asana practice.