Amber - The Perfect Circle

I made it. It was my third day in a row getting up at 4:30 AM! Luckily it is also the last day this week that it is even an option to take a sunrise class. I mention sunrise because when I arrive it is dark. During the floor part, which happens the last 30 minutes, you can watch the sun rise during each Savasana. The Savasana is the "dead body pose" or as one instructor likes to call it the flying in the clouds pose. You lay with your head towards the front of the class and your feet towards the back. I can see directly out of the windows and I stare at the sky and trees. It is a glorious part of class because you do this in between each asana. It's a time to rest and reflect. It allows your body to absorb what you have just done. Normally, it is only about 20 seconds. As I've mentioned before, between the standing series and the floor series you take about 3 minutes and lay there. I am guessing on the time - but if feels like an eternity. I have not been able to master the art of relaxation in there. I get antsy and can't hold still. I'll have an itch or need to prevent a drip of sweat from going up my nose or in my eye. There is always something. At the end of class, there is a final Savasana. In this Savasana, the lights in the room are turned out and I can relax. The instructor comes around with a cold, wet, lavender smelling cloth for each student. Unfortunately during the sunrise classes, I can not take the time I would like during this final moment. Work is only an hour away from beginning and a shower is definitely in order. For the 2 minutes or so before I quietly get up it is pure heaven. My last moments before the reality of the day sets in.

During the evening classes I take about 10-15 minutes in the final Savasana. I lay there and let the weight of the day finally leave me. I never bring home my laptop during the week, so these days I truly leave my work at the office. There are pro's and con's to taking the morning vs. the evening classes and vice versa. For productivity at work, the morning class is the far better choice. Probably for my metabolism, the morning is the better class. For true meditation and relaxation, the evening class is the best choice. If only it weren't so crowded! It may be time for Rima to open up another studio or expand this one. The popularity can only be a good thing for the studio, but man it gets hot! It is a nice difference in the morning to have the room to spread out and not feel so close to everyone else.

Yoga is about individuality with one common goal. It is a meditation. It is organized and methodical. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. It is a perfect circle. The best processes in work, at home, in a story have these elements. They have one common effect - when the process is complete you have gained. At work you have completed a project or a sale. At home, it can be as simple as the cycle of the day. In a story you have gained a little more intellect for reading, even if it isn't a literary masterpiece. Who knows, maybe you are gaining a little right now... I know I am just by writing.

PS: Even if it is a small and trivial exercise, try and reflect every day on what you have gained. I do that every day right here. This is a new and very eye-opening experience for me. When I sit down and begin the daily blog - I don't know where I am going to go with the story. Every day for over a week now I have had a revelation about yoga and how it compares to life and what I can take from that. If we all reflect on the day - you may find your own revelations about your life and what you can take from it. I am just a student of life and learning every moment of every day about myself and others.