Some Truth To It

Remember those "No Fear" shirts from the 90's?  They were very trendy and featured slogans meant to motivate people by belittling them for feeling pain or fatigue.

I had one with an X-ray of a broken hand on it that read "Pain is Temporary, Glory is Forever".  I didn't really like it or understand it, but bought it because everyone else had one.  I wore it until it had a hole and never thought twice about its claim until about 10 years later.

Fast forward to Thailand in the summer of 2004 and my yoga teacher waxing philosophically about yoga injuries and how they are really just a form of weakness or sickness exiting the body as you deepen your practice.  Noted.

Fast forward to now, and I'm beginning to think there is some truth to this whole idea about pain, sickness and injury.  As I laid in wind removing pose in Bikram class on Tuesday evening, I realized I was pulling my knees closer to my body than ever before because my arms were wrapping around the knees more.  My arms were able to do this because my shoulder was somehow more open after my recent shoulder/neck injury.  Again, I noticed this in camel pose, as I was bending backwards, my shoulder blades were able to point in toward my spine more, which allowed a deeper backward bend.  Was my shoulder injury a result of some weakness or sickness leaving my body? Did the folks at "No Fear" have it right all along?