Astanga

The day flailed out of my control almost from the moment I woke up. Nothing unfolded as I expected. I planned to come home and head straight to the park to practice, but it clouded over and then work intervened. I had phone calls to make and emails to send. I took a break to start gathering camping equipment for my upcoming trip and the sun broke through. I headed to my neighbourhood park, the one closer to home, to practice.

I wasn't sure how it would go. This is a smaller park, more intimate, with more people around, including my neighbours and yoga students. Many of the kids know me because they've been in my classes. Last time I practised in that park, I was beseiged by small yogis and ended up abandoning the Primary Series in favour of handstands, cartwheels and fun arm balances.

Today was good. When I arrived, there were a few children on the playground and three little old ladies on a nearby bench. They sat peacefully side-by-side with their walkers carefully parked in front of them. They *loved* my sun salutations. Nothing like a friendly audience!

My main complaint is the ground - decades of pinecones from a nearby tree have collected over the years, creating hard, mean little lumps. I moved my mat several times but had no luck. Garba Pindasana hurts when you're rolling on small mountains! I managed to find a smooth spot for Sirsasana. I realised once again that attitude is 90% of a pose. Halfway through Sirsasana, doubt crept in: “I don't know if I can do this.” I firmed my resolve and reassured myself: “I *will* stay up. I *will* do halfbend, I'm strong in this pose.” And I was.

Savasana was incredible. I could totally get used to these loooonnnnnng Savasanas! I walked home just dripping with bliss.

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It's been exactly one month since my humble little blog leapt to sudden fame with its inclusion in a Yoga Journal article about yoga blogs. I haven't spoken of it since, but yes, I *did* get my paws on a copy of the August issue. I did my Happy Dance at the news stand as the proprietor looked on in amusement. I watched with amazement as my access stats spiked, with many new visitors.

The rush of newcomers has waned, but what gives me the most pleasure is the number of you who stuck around. I see you in my access stats, in my RSS subscriptions and followers list. I'm glad you're here. I appreciate those of you who have taken the time to leave thoughtful comments. I hope that you've found something of value here.

I didn't start this blog thinking that anyone would be interested in reading it. It started as an experiment. What would happen if I practised Astanga Yoga, a style I professed to hate? Would my practice be more meaningful if I wrote about it? Would I find a voice to describe my experiences on the mat? What could I learn? I never imagined that the greatest outcome of this experiment would be connection and community.

It reminds me a bit of an experience I had in university. I lived in residence and at first, I felt a bit shy and kept my door closed when I was studying in the evening. One night, I decided to see what would happen if I left my door open. Something did happen - I stared connecting with other people!

I appreciate the Internet as a tool and a resource. YouTube is unbearably nifty. I love the fact that I can find any song lyric by typing in a fragment. Online maps amaze me. I could go on and on...

But the secret ingredient that has made the Internet pure magic for me is the sense of community I've found and the people I've discovered - and I'm still discovering.