POWER YOGA

Yoga has been a focus since coming back to Hawaii.  Since getting back from the mission, life has become a different mindset.  My mission changed me for the better.  I have a new perspective that I never would have had.  One thing that did change was my drive and my efforts to want to succeed.  They just became enlarged I guess.  I love this about my new self--but you know as much as I do that nobody's perfect.  And I'll be the first to admit that seldom there are perfect days.  Being tedious becomes exhausting--perfection seems so unattainable...sometimes you just need an outlet when your hair gets tousled.

Early november 2009: I remember coming home to Summerland all jet lagged and wide awake.  There was so much to be done I thought.  Those first few months I was on overdrive--I had tons of drive except nothing really to be able to do except work out.  Energy energy...too much energy.  I figured while I had the chance, I'd get back into shape.  

I fell in love with swimming more than I ever have.  I swam up to two miles in my work outs a couple times a week.  I loved the benefits.  My body was strong, it was lean, and I could breathe.  I could stay in the pool forever.  I had nowhere to be.

The rhythmic inhaling and exhaling cleared my mind and lowered my heart rate.  It was relaxing.  It was beautiful.

Although I work at the pool here in Hawaii, it is not what I call an ideal place to swim.  Sure get in the pool and swim it all off if you want to but you might bump into someone if you aren't careful.  Okay.  You probably will.  

There are no lane lines and this irritates me more than anything.  Who's to blame without lane lines and many swimmers don't know pool etiquette.  Most of them are brand new at swimming. Many of them come from different countries where swimming isn't a regular skill.  I am excited that they have the chance to learn.  It's just unfortunate for me because I feel like I might run them over.  The other thing is that the pool is a lopsided length.  I would bet that there is no other pool like it.

Hatha yoga is offered Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00pm for an hour.  For these two hours a week, I can breathe.  I stretch and lengthen my spine and forget about everything and everyone, even myself.  It's unreal.  It's the best.  This week, a new teacher decided to teach power yoga.  She's from Utah and I wasn't sure what to expect from her.  She turned on more contemporary music like the Killers and then ended with more relaxing music like Clair De Lune and Miles Davis.  I was a little skeptical at first but at the hour continued, I was really eating this stuff up.  She sprang forward out of her downward dog, kicking her legs up and landing up in a leapfrog position ready to go into monkey pose.  She made it fun.  he was doing all kinds of fun things.  There was more balancing than I was used to than in Hatha Yoga wich really pushed me but my most favorite part about yesterday was sitting on my head.  We sat on our heads for about five minutes and let the blood rush to our heads and clear our minds.  I was kicking my feet up and balancing while pointing my toes and flexing them...when the night was through my heart was calm, my mind was clear, I was happy and stretched out.  Yoga my new outlet, my new friend, you'll never let me down.  Consider this my Ode to Yoga.