yoga
for years i took iyengar yoga classes with ally. before all the intimate concerts and when she was at the now-defunct dyer street yoga - easily 6 years ago. i followed her to swiss avenue and then to the mckinney avenue space. when she quit teaching regularly, i quit going and i sat on the sidelines for a good two years. i had my excuses. ally's not teaching. i don't have time. i can't afford it. i'm too busy. i don't want to. it's too hard. nobody teaches like her... etc etc. i loved her classes and hope she's inspiring other to take up a practice in austin.
well. i thrive on yoga and a lot of people would if they took it up. i function better and have a clearer mind when i have a regular practice. after yoga-hopping, i've found my home for now in bikram classes. not the knock-offs, but the real-deal. 105 degrees. 70% humidity. 90 minutes long. same series every class. like raw spaghetti going into hot water, i'm able to go deeper into poses i never thought possible for me. every class is different and something new comes up everytime i walk into that hot, hot room. sweat pouring out of my ankles, toes, forearms is cleansing and my body has never thanked me so much. maintaining my breath and letting my mind be present - even under excrutiating conditions - now that's yoga, folks. funny how training the breath and mind like that translates to real-life.
the weirdest part is paul has taken it up. he's lost a ton of weight and is some days way more focused than me. he's turning into a regular over-achiever, that paul. this has been one of the best investments we've ever made.
