wider view

Photo credit: Arnaldo Gonzalez-Aviles

Sometimes we don’t know. Back in December, when I initially made plans to attend a retreat in Mexico, I knew there was a possibility that I might need to cancel due to COVID. But I made plans to go anyway. Case numbers surged again, and I questioned my plans. I even paused my in-person classes for a few weeks. If I looked only at the immediate situation (case numbers in Oregon), things didn’t look good. But if I took a wider view—looking at the projected decline in cases and factored in the vaccinations and required testing of participants at the retreat, things looked promising.

I’m glad the wider view won. All of the testing (I tested every day while away and several times since) is a little inconvenient, but studying with a wonderful group of students, spending time on the beach and in the ocean, sharing meals and conversation, playing cards, this was all well worth it!  

Not having traveled for the past two years, it was a good reminder of how placing ourselves in a new situation gives us a new perspective. Not only was I visiting a new place, but I was also engaged with and making friends with new people. This kind of situation lets us see ourselves differently and this can be the beginning of change. Our asana practice encourages this. We find ourselves in a new situation, trying to navigate the tightness of a joint or confronting the rigidity of strength. Or as often as not, the rigidity of the mind.

It sounds like work—and it is. But it can also be joyful and light. I’ve always loved hearing students crack jokes in my classes. I’ve missed hearing students when teaching online. Starting this week, I’m adding additional weekly classes. I’ll be offering three in-person classes and two online. In April, I’ll be offering a three-week series at the studio on healthy knees. I can’t wait to see more of you in person as the pandemic fades and we reunite to study yoga.

February 28, 2022