The other day I found myself in the middle of South Park with 5 strangers, sitting on a yoga mat, with my eyes closed, chanting. This is what I saw when I looked up.
I tried not to think about who might be walking by. I successfully relegated all thoughts of chiggers and ants to my unconscious mind. I followed instructions to the best of my ability. And when class was over I went and had my toe nails painted blue.
This is what going to a Kundalini yoga class can do for you.
Tuesday I fixed a poached egg to eat with left-over risotto for breakfast, climbed on top of the rock wall out back to examine the purple cone flowers, put the finishing touches on a flat argyle sweater pattern in my art journal, watched a cat take a nap, put some flowers in a vase, and collected the mail.
All that PLUS I took a "sun flow" yoga class. My joints loved it and I will be repeating that experience again very soon. Hopefully next time I will not lose my balance while gazing upward during tree pose and sort of bump into the man on the mat next to mine. I didn't make him fall or anything and the teacher assured me it was quite normal.
I think you all will know this. But just to be perfectly clear... NONE of these photos below are of me.
That doesn't mean however that someday, maybe 10 years from now, I might not be able to get myself into one of these positions. If I keep practicing regularly. As one of the teachers at the studio where I practice says, "you never know what your body might be able to do today". I like her attitude. She's in the top left corner up there. These photos were all taken at the 2011 Kansas & Missouri Yoga Asana Championship in Lawrence last weekend.
I have been practicing Bikram Yoga for a little over a year now. It's extremely challenging and one of the best things I do for myself. All of the people in the pictures teach or attend class at the studio where I practice. It was cool to see them at their finest.
If you've never tried a Bikram Yoga class - give it a whirl sometime. I thought I was going to die 1/2 way through my first class. By the end of the class I was hooked.
