Two Years of Digging Yoga

In September I passed my two year anniversary of practicing yoga.  I probably have taken more classes than most people celebrating their two year anniversary because I like to take 5 or more classes a week.  I used to lift weights regularly, but I let that lapse because my body got too tight (and you know that women go to yoga to meet loose men).  I used to get regular migraines, now I go to yoga.  I used to carry all my stress in my belly with disastrous results; yogic breathing helped relax my bod.  When I take BART in the morning I practice pranyama because it helps me relax before work.  Less stress.

I used to wonder what yoga was doing for me.  But now I ask myself whether it matters.  I like the way my body feels, it doesn’t ache as much, the people at the studio are way cool, and savasanah rocks at the end of each practice.  I appreciate the thousand times I have to do the standards like downward dog, cobra, forward bend, low lunge, sun salutation, present pose, chair, Warrior I, II, and III; triangle, side-angle, crow, bridge, half moon, and all the rest.  Hey I finally elevated up into wheel, and I’m doing some arm stands (right terminology?…who cares.).   Have you ever had your lower back release when you stay in child’s pose, it feels wonderful. You do these asanas a thousand times and every pose is different and each new time you learn something extra about your body and yourself.  I used to wonder when I’d be good at yoga, it doesn’t seem to matter anymore.  The most important part of yoga is interacting with the people and instructors with whom you practice.

Now my internal chant during flow classes is “re-lax.”  “Re” is my inhale and “lax” is my exhale.  My primary goal at the conclusion of class is to sink into “Corpse” pose.  Isn’t it ironic, you start each practice on your knees and complete it in “corpse” pose,…each class is kind of like a metaphor for life.  Sorry, too deep.  I used to go to practice and admire all the yoga stars with their lithe bodies.  The other day I went to class and saw a bunch of my friends, and wondered what happened to all the stars.  I laugh more at practice now, and it is particularly ludicrous when I fall out of a pose because I’m such a dork.  But it is only practice, no big deal.

So what is the prognosis after two years.  There is none.  Yoga feels good, it makes me mellow, and I have fun during practice.  And to think I was hoping that one day I’d become a yoga star.

V/R
Jeff Cross