I returned from attending my uncle’s funeral late last night. Philadelphia is notorious for being amongst the worst airports in the country and this trip did not disappoint. My flight was cancelled on the way out and I had to wait three hours in the airport and my flight back was delayed nearly two hours--but did I fret? Well, maybe a little but not publicly and not for long. I did get home after midnight though which made getting up this morning even more difficult than normal. I can honestly say the only thing that dragged my stiff--from sitting around airports and funeral homes and not doing my yoga for two days--body out of bed this morning was the thought of practicing again. This, in and of itself, is fascinating to me because I have never enjoyed any form of exercise so much that I would get out of bed to do it. In just two days, I have missed my friends. I have missed the heat. I have missed my mental quiet time. I have missed my yoga practice.
I am conscious that my back is feeling better but I have little expectation for my practice since I have done nothing but sit for two days. My work is physical so I do not often sit this much and when I do it does not agree with me. My intent is to just welcome my body back to motion. I am delighted to feel my body easing into its first forward bend, which was impossible for me earlier in the week. I tell myself that my body is smart and my body is strong. I am blessed, as are we all, with an intelligence inside my body that allows me to heal. I am grateful. I am focused. I’m not thinking about the heat, or my breathing, or my sweating. I am so comfortable and focused at one point during the standing series that I have no idea how long I’ve been in a posture. I think to myself that I am really getting good at this, only to find that the heat is not working quite right today and that it is probably 5 or 10 degrees cooler than it normally is. (Oh pride you ugly monster!)
All in all, it is a tremendous welcome back. The yoga gods smile on me today. My gift from Leah in class (besides her beautiful smile) is a simple reminder that it is important to go into your postures with a good grip. And if our practice mirrors our lives, than it’s equally important there too. As my husband continues to improve, the tire on my car is fixed, my body continues to heal itself, and I savor the memory of my family gathering to celebrate a life dear to us all, I feel like maybe I’ve got a grip on my life. The thought of doing back-to-back classes tomorrow morning (8 AM and 10 AM) actually brings a smile to my face. I want to get back on track with my 30 classes in 30 days.
