Day 26

A kick in the face…


Yoga classes are getting more crowded. Although my friend and I arrived ten minutes early for class today, we still found ourselves at the back of a line going into the studio. Trying to be polite, we wait in line to enter the studio. But the atmosphere feels more like an old west land rush as we anxiously look around and then quickly stake our claim to yogaland. 

When my friend and I made it into the studio, there was a spot in the front and a spot in the back. We opted to stay in the back. I set my mat up along with my yoga blanket. I didn't think anyone else could fit behind us, so I relaxed sitting cross-legged on my mat, eyes closed.

I heard some rumbling behind me and I was shocked to see not one more person, but five people had squeezed behind me. "How did they do that?" I wondered as I scooted my mat up as far as I could without touching the mat in front of me.

The yoga whisperer began class by stating that she had no words of wisdom for us today, but she was sure something would come to us during class. As she moved through the poses I found my arms were so sore from continuous yoga that I wasn't sure I could make it through the entire class. I thought about sitting through most of the class in child's pose. That is when the yoga whisperer said, "When your thigh is burning, it is talking to you. Breath through it. If you let yourself off the hook, that's fine. Just ask yourself why."

Okay. I'll ask myself why. My arms scream: "Are you crazy! I can't go from standing split, to plank (leg raised), to down dog split, to plank, to low plank, to plank, to down dog split." I missed a few low to high planks, but I muddled my way through. So I continued. I want to complete the 20 classes in 30 days, but I don't want to feel like I cheated. I'll push through until my arms collapse. I was still giving myself this little pep talk going into ardha chandrasana when a foot wondered close to my face. Thankful for the excuse to get out of the pose, I discreetly wiggled my mat back.

Once again I talked myself up into ardha chandrasana when I felt something furry. Yikes! I just put my foot in someone's hair. I moved up again. Fortunately for me, the lady left class early and I avoided the embarrassment of having to apologize.

As class ended I thought about what had come to me during class: full circle giving and receiving. I got a foot in the face and I gave a foot in the face. So overall, I would say it was even. And tomorrow I will not worry about staking my claim to the yoga floor. No matter where you lay your mat, there is always a foot nearby.

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Number of Hot Yoga Classes: 16