After every yoga practice, I try to see how long I can stay away from looking at my phone
I don’t keep a real record but tonight, I immediately turned it on because I also like to time how long I practiced
Tonight was 40 minutes where although my thoughts invaded my space, I also visualized each one floating away, just like yoga taught me
I think back to every time I’ve done yoga on the beach: twice that I recall.
Once, in the early morning New Jersey sunshine, alone, I played music but can’t remember now what I had chosen. I remember thinking of Haley. And whether or not someone would come up to me to join. Now that I’m thinking back on the memory, I remember choosing Sufjan Stevens. I thought a lot about tj too, like I always do.
The other time, I was on a dirty Ohio beach, after spending the weekend at the festival. The sun beat hot and heavy. A small group gathered. I vinyased up front. It felt so good on my back. A young man with army pants and a striped beach towel practiced next to me. Tj was behind. We all said hello to the people around us. I like being instructed to say hello to strangers. It is a nice way to be friendly and feel more connected to the people stretching their bodies the same exact way you are but it feeling so completely different.
So many other times, my outside yoga experiences have completely shifted my mood, the sleep out of my eyes, the fuzziness from my mind. Sunday grand view park yoga classes with Tj, my sister, coincidentally a co worker but we didn’t acknowledge one another, the same lady who chooses the same shady concrete spot, Ashley and Ashley’s mom.
It rained one Sunday morning and I was the only student who showed up. Goofy Paul was the substitute instructor. He said, ‘why don’t we go underneath the pavilion and just practice? No charge.’ I said, ‘sure, why not?’ And we shared this beautiful moment ever since. We embrace each other every time I visit the studio. He teaches regular classes now, still mostly to kids and a special class for kids with disabilities.
At the beginning of that practice with Paul, we closed our eyes for a substantial amount of time and when I finally blinked them open, the city had completely transformed from the storm and the act of cleansing your mind but only focusing on your own breathing and what your body naturally takes in.
That wasn’t my first pavilion class. Tj has been by my side during so many classes, including a pavilion when it rained. Thinking back now, there was so much more rain the summer of ‘16 compared to this past year’s. I’m afraid of what the world is becoming. I have begun reading science fiction written by women to actualize some of the fucked up shit that may happen one day.
turnnoffyourmind
jacobvanloon
vaporwave
theartofmadeline
tangentwithtanner
dededos
kianamaiart
baratheonpilled
