Thoughts on yoga for the now

Today we were greeted with: "Welcome - move slowly, breathe deeply - it's frickin' cold out!"

Looking back on today's practice with Pat, I arrived early - about 30 minutes actually. I perused the merchandise for sale in the front lobby, looking specifically for some yoga music discs. I scored, too.

"Yoga Rythms" is a delightfully housy-trance-like mix of tracks that can run in the background, and it does what background is supposed to: it's that music that you don't know is there, but you'd miss if it weren't.

"Om Yoga Mix" is similar, but less Trance, more... almost tribal.

I bought something else too: a 1-year unlimited membership to the studio. I've been going 5 days out of 7, feeling better for it, and showing improvement at the chiropractor because of it. I may not be the world's most flexible guy, nor am I the most graceful in my movements in the studio, but I practice. And it's my practice - no one else's. Today I felt clunky, and completely OK with it. My sights are not on the improvement of the day, but rather, set on a six-month target for reassessment. I've already felt a difference inside of two weeks. Thirty four more weeks is sure to yield positive results. And if yoga happens only in the 'now', it doesn't matter what the future holds.

The more good I do for myself, the more good fortune I seem to accumulate. I think there's something to be said for those who appreciate and honour their life and each day they live. If simply not wasting a day, but putting it to good use and leaving in its place something of betterment - for myself or the world around me - is payback enough for the day given, I endeavour to fulfil. Life is precious and not without limit. I want to give myself every advantage for a healthy, long and happy time.

Pat honoured me today by telling me that he's noticed that I don't race through the series, trying to keep up to the class - that I pace myself to my own breath and I make my practice my own. He admires that in a student, and he acknowledged that in me. Yes, I appreciate acknowledgement, and I also appreciate those who go out of their way to enrich my life.