Yoga Journey #40

Who’d a thought ten year ago

The other morning after Pranayama I sat on my cushion for about twenty minutes. I had turned off the main ceiling light and the room was lit only by a small lamp and the rising sun. The window faces south so the sun was not contributing much to the room’s ambiance.

My asana practice did not go well it only lasted eighteen minutes. So that’s why I turned off the main light and sat for twelve minutes while I did my pranayama practice. Afterwards I folded over with my legs still in Padmasana (Lotus Posture) and reached for the top of my mat – it felt good and very relaxing. I sat back up against the wall that I use to keep my back straight for pranayama. It’s quiet, low lit, and I’m in a reflective mood.

I look up to the shelf where the lamp is shedding light on my teaching certificate that I got from Tim Miller. I’m looking at it through a large indoor palm plant that is in between my head and that certificate. I am sat there alone, in the dimly lit quiet, with my thoughts of the amazing time that I had there. I stayed seated for about twenty minutes.

I’ve been thinking about those times for a couple of days now. I’m sorta reminiscing about “the good old days”. Life is in transition. I started yoga ten years ago this month – it is my ten year anniversary – WOO HOO! Actually the good old days are not that far gone. It was 2017 just six years ago that I’m thinking about. I was being assisted in my own practice and learning how to assist fellow Ashtangi’s in their practice. This was at a small Buddhist centre transformed weekday mornings into a yoga shala. Coincidentally that shala opened up in April.

I loved to practice there.

To be here siting in this low lit room on my pranayama cushion looking at that certificate is bringing back lots of fond memories. It was a two week immersion into a time long past. I felt like I’d been transported back to the 1970’s. It would not have been out of place for me to run into a bunch of Hare Krishna’s when I landed at the San Diego Airport – ha.

The teachers were unbelievably good and that instantly reassured me why I was there. I’m here to learn how to teach but I learned so much more. It was such a generous, loving, caring environment.

In 2017 I was learning how to assist Ashtangi’s in their practice. A little push here a little twist there. I was not getting it. I felt intimidated by those whom I was supposed to be helping. So that is why I went there. Those two weeks was the first time in my life that I travelled by myself, for myself, to be myself(1).

I have arrived at a time that is very retrospective.

Yoga amplifies this time as where else would my mind go while I’m practicing. It’s not supposed to go anywhere but it does. For me I’m most active while in Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog). It’s the calmest part of my entire practice while I’m finding my breath. It’s actually a beautiful, spiritual, informative space to just be. These first few minutes informs me about how practice will go. About how I’m feeling. It can also be an emotional space to inhabit and is definitely a space where I’m often visited – I love it – you’d love it too.

Ten years ago I started this yoga journey which of all the accolades I could recount – the best thing I can say about it is that I discovered who I am.

It only took a lifetime.

Take care

Note: The photo above is in my basement where I practice. I staged it just for the picture. Normally my mat runs parallel to the fireplace and the plant is on the other side of the room. The candles are never lit when I practice.

(1) Obviously I’ve traveled by myself before, I did that for years in my job. That line refers to the first time it was for me.