Wandering Mind

With the spring weather, a magnificent week of yoga, spending lots of time with the Blonde Lady, hanging out with dear friends and making a few new ones, this has been a wonderful, wonderful week. The windows are open (finally) and the birds are singing and the sun is coming up and filling the apartment with its warm glow. It was so nice last night to drive through the swampy areas and hear the frogs singing again.

Slept in until 5:30 this morning, I got to the point this last week where 3:30 seemed like a normal/easy time to get up each day so I could make it to yoga by 4:45 (and I wasn’t the first one there…) But getting there early has it’s perks, like choice real estate where I plunked down my and REW’s mats in the front row while she worked the door. It’s not until you put yourself up front that you realize why it’s such a great place to be. The three things I got out of it were 1) the joy of practicing that close to Pattabhi. At first it’s slightly intimidating but you realize in watching him that he only wants you to do well and if it’s not coming today, it’s not coming today. There is compassion in his desire for you to understand yourself in your practice. 2) The wonderful people in the row. I really enjoyed talking with and getting to know (and practicing next to) Jody, Kathy, REW, Ilonka, and a few others whose names have unfortunately escaped me. And the energy of the people in that row was extremely supportive as we practiced, I found myself wanting/hoping that I was sharing my energy as much as they were. They were kind enough to invite me out to breakfast after Friday’s practice but I don’t think I could have made it back on time to work if I had gone, so maybe I’ll get a rain check… and last but not least 3)The relaxation of the ego. Being up there in front of Pattabhi and next to people with beautiful practices the desire to do your “best” is overwhelming. But in order for me to do my “best” I would have had to hurt myself. My knee and my shoulder never really felt good this week and I opted to not push myself in poses that would do damage and I was able to stick to that the whole week without getting down about myself and my practice. So while there is lots of room for improvement in many areas of my practice I was able to walk away feeling like I really did do my Best.

It was a lovely, exhausting week.