Saturday, August 25, 2007

Class #8 - #11: Continuing to Breathe.

There are those days, that we wake in the morning and want to surround ourselves in comfort, unassumingly passing through the day. This past Thursday I desperately wanted to wear my Dansko's to work. It seemed a little silly for a humid, overcast DC August day. In my own small effort to rally against the elements I pulled out my tan/peach seersucker suit and strapped on my summer loafers. Upon arriving to my office, I gasped in horror at the appearance of the black greasy stripes accessorizing my left lower pant leg.

Beware the DC Metro - it will attack any clothing light in color.


There are some days where we need to sit towards the back of the class and just let rest of the world flow around us or shift positions and look at the world from a new location. All in the effort to become caught up in the flow - where movement becomes a meditation and each breath is cherished. During the last class of the Intro series, a week or so ago, we moved into the hip openers during our flow and I found mine wouldn't open. They had beautifully and easily opened not two nights before - why wouldn't they now? I had to use the modifications and those were still very uncomfortable.

During this last Intro class, my breath was stagnant, I didn't breathe into the poses. I just took a passive response and accepted where they were. At the time, I was unable to see that other asanas were beginning to open.

I stepped into the studio this past Thursday after the seersucker incident (and a later one involving my white oxford shirt and a tomato) with a little trepidation - cognizant that I needed to take control of the way my day was moving. When we began our practice, my mind was turning over, then I started to listen to my breath. Upon reflection, this was the first time my practice became a meditation, it flowed easily from one pose to another slowly moving deeper, pushing further. I dexterously followed a pose or two I had never performed before. When we moved through the five sets of Urdhva Dhanurasana
, I was fully present for each one. On the final wheel, I began to do push-ups at the suggestion of the instructor. Ask me how I did this, I cannot say for certain, just that it came, very simply. It wasn't forced.

Thurday's practice, heralded a change. I found out today, the marks on my seersucker pants are not permanent. Apparently, the dry cleaners here in DC are accustomed to dealing with the scourge of black greasy marks. And yes, my hips were still somewhat tight in today's practice; however, other movements continued to open. Just like the spots, that will be erased by the miracles of perc, poses will blossom in their own time.

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