Day 52: On day 52 I went to Bar Method in Cherry Creek. This class is always hard on my tight hips, but it was especially hard to tackle after completing the yoga sculpt class the day before. Walking today proved to be especially difficult.
Day 53: Whenever I come home from Karma Yoga I feel rejuvenated and enlightened; tonight was no different. I went to a 90 minute bhakti flow class with my friend Sangeeta. The instructor, Katrina is quickly winning over my yoga heart. She had us keep our eyes closed for the majority of the practice and it not only made the balance and poses more challenging, it also challenged the faith that I have in my own practice.
Katrina started class by asking us why people are so unhappy? She said it baffles her how we can turn up our heat to 70 degrees, grab a Starbucks, head to our jobs, practice yoga, eat whatever food we want, talk to friends and family, buy lululemon clothing (she said that!) and still find reasons to be unhappy. I felt like was staring into my soul with that question…primarily because I turned my heat up before I left the house, drank bucks this a.m., was sporting lululemon and was looking forward to my salmon burger when I came home from practice. Things are good, but my heart was feeling extra heavy. I decided to dedicate my practice to celebrating gratitude for how abundant my life actually is.
After a few flows we did something I have never done before….
The drummer from a previous class I had taken there was back again tonight and I can almost guarantee that his eyes were open over the next five minutes that we were asked to “free dance.” Now, I actually cannot tell you anytime in my life that I a. danced soberly in public b. danced with my eyes closed c. danced to bongo drums and d. danced while confined to a yoga mat. During my five minutes of dancing confusion I ran into a wall twice, chuckled to myself like a child, peaked at other practitioners to make sure I did not look like I was break dancing in comparison, snapped my fingers a few times for good measure and tried incredibly hard to channel a past viewing of Shiva Rea dancing on a sand dune.
After some of my embarrassment wore off (I wish I could say that stuff does not embarrass me, but I am not there just yet!) we headed into a prolonged savasana. The instructor ended class with singing a bit of “what the world needs now, is love sweet love…” and with the quote “you’re heart doesn’t break, it just breaks open.” It left my heart feeling gratuitous for the ups and downs, the dark parts of life and the light parts, for my awkward mat dancing and my sweet fishing pole move, the heartache and the beautiful parts of love. It’s in the yin and yang in life that we find balance. I hope you know a way to find yours. Namaste.
365 Days, 365 Workouts 