Start and Finish

I only have a couple more sections of my yoga paper to write, and I need to get them done soon, so today I wrote another one.


Once I started calling myself a yogi, I started growing even more in my practice, and each time I got on my mat was a new, utterly enjoyable experience. My practice began with me standing, hands at heart center, feet together, and eyes closed. Breathing in and out through my nose and constricting my glottis, I emptied my mind and focused on how my body felt that day.

Opening my eyes, I began with a series of sun salutations. Arms overhead, palms together, I looked up and reached up. Then hinge at the hips, arms out, fall forward, forehead to knees. Next, back straight, fingertips resting on the mat. Then the hard part - lean into my hands and step back into plank. Elbows tight to my sides, I exhale and lower down slowly. I push my chest up and look up, feeling the deep back-bend. Lifting my hips and rolling my heels over my toes, I settled into downward facing dog. Resting and breathing, I remained for five deep breaths. Inhaling, I look forward and will my feet to follow, stopping in a forward bend before rising up again hinging at my hips and raising my arms. Exhaling I relaxed my arms back down to my sides, ready to repeat the process.

Then followed an  hour of stretching, breathing, lifting, twisting, balancing, and folding in every way imaginable. Finally the class ended with inversions. It was yogi's choice, and I almost always choose back-bends. Standing on my mat a couple of feet away from a wall, I'd look backward and reach behind me, placing my hands flat on the wall. Taking a couple of steps forward, I walked my hands closer to the floor. Once I was as low as I could be, I stretched out my arms and held my position for as long as I could before pushing back into my hands and standing up.

Being upside down and then standing back up does amazingly weird things to the body. The blood rushing through my head makes me light-headed as I rise up, and being upside down for a while makes me feel light all over makes me walk taller as I go through my day. Yoga became a part of me as I practiced and transformed the way I move through the world. And that transformation continues as I continue my practice.


-Kat