Getting connected

I've lived in LA for almost two years and today I took my first yoga class here.

It's not because I've never taken yoga before. In my SF days, I could almost be considered a yoga nazi. I've done so many styles of yoga, I can't even remember them all. I've taught yoga. I tried Bikram, when there was only one studio in San Francisco and co-practitioners would disappear to LA for months at a time only to reappear as certified Bikram instructors. And I've got my opinions on all styles.

It's not that I've been practicing yoga on my own either. Sure I know most of the basic postures and how to correct and stand and be in those positions. And I have my favorite flow postures. But don't make the assumption that since I know them and have taught them, that I practice them at home. Oh no.

I don't know what it's been that held me back from getting back into yoga. I know the benefits to my body and mind and caffeine induced brain. I feel calmer, more connected and flexible. I've just been putting it off. Until today.

Carmen and I are like two race cars on the track - pacing each other egging the other to take a turn a bit more or open up in the straight-aways - all while keeping pace. We're not racing - we're pacing - at extremely fast speeds. Perhaps we're more like molecules or atoms spinning, gathering momentum and giving more to the momentum which builds the momentum more as we do so.

So she finally spun me up into a yoga class. It was great. It's been so long since I've done the postures and I felt completely inflexible, but that didn't seem to matter. Something in my body remembered the postures. I breathed, kept my judgment aside and relaxed, eventually my muscles did too, and the postures I ended up doing in the next hour amazed me. It was like I never missed a beat in my practice and in fact I was stronger and more powerful than before.

I don't know what to chalk that up to. Power you gain in any discipline can be transfer to any current activity. I wonder what would happen to my sword practice if I took it up again. And I wonder how sore I'll be tomorrow.

Comments

[pinky the first]

someday...I don't know what it would take to motivate me back into yoga... You are an inspiration!