Flying!

Do you ever find yourself flying during practice? It sounds crazy, but sometimes you settle in, your focus is there, and it happens!


I was able to fit in a practice with Josh (more on him in a future instructor's post!) on Thursday afternoon. It took a lot of rushing on my part and prodding of my sluggish children to get there in time, but we made it. I checked the boys into the childcare and dashed across the gym to the studio to find it was packed! Everyone was already prone on their mats, and Josh was chatting with someone about modifications. I squeezed my bright yellow mat in between 2 mats, just as he resumed the warm up.


I like Josh's instructional style - a lot - and obviously, so do a lot of other people (hello: packed studio!)...but to a first timer in his class, the warm up must seem inordinately l o n g. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to practice with Josh, and I'd forgotten just how long his warm ups can be. And this one was long. And slow. And my mind started to wander...

"what am I going to blog about THIS class? I'm going to lose readers my first week out!"
"I didn't have time to check Husband's voicemail before practice. What if it's something that can't wait an hour?"
"Did I turn my phone to vibrate? What if it rings in the middle of class?"
"Can I make it for the full hour today?"
et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...


After nearly 30 full minutes of windshield wipering our legs, table pose, cat/cow, modified side planks, we got into the first downdog. I knew what was coming next (or at least I hoped was coming next): full plank. I was hopeful. Full plank might mean we would finally start a vinyasa (a flow series, for those of you newbies to yoga terminology). And Josh rewarded us: Plank pose, top of a push-up. A couple of leg raises...and then it happened. The next pose was Chaturanga, not a particular fave. Yet, as I lowered myself into the "crocodile", I felt that long, purposeful warm up pay off in spades.

I have no idea how, because I don't recall working our shoulders in the warm up, but my deltoids were warm and strong. I felt my full body, still straight as a plank, hovering inches off the ground, and there it was: I felt like I was flying! It felt great. I swooped up to updog, rolled back to downdog, ready for more. A nice "hop to the top" of the mat capped off the flow, and we continued on with the rest of the practice. Some more flows, warriors, some crescents, a bind - if we could, and before I knew it, Savasana.


Time literally flies - and sometimes, so do you - when you're having fun!


Namaste