Starting Out

A new blog is just like a new yoga practice. Difficult to fit in for the first few days, a struggle to maintain... and hopefully something to look forward to with uncharacteristic commitment once it's engrained in daily life.

I've had a full working week back in the office, and can report the following statistics:

• went to yoga every day before work
• lost my temper once on day three
• packed my lunch every day
• saved approx $29 per day by bringing lunch, making coffee and walking to and fro
• spent $32 on lavish Friday lunch
• used three bus ticket credits on old snapper card because too tired to walk home

These days I'm sensing a strong co-relation between the yoga mat and life at large. First, you need to turn up. Second, you do the routine. Third, doing the routine can be tedious beyond belief, or wonderful and adventurous, depending on your mood and attitude. You move from one posture to the next, one task to the next. It's better if you're aware of what you're doing, the movements, responses. You can make adjustments to line things up, breath easier, go deeper, go easy.

On the mat and off, what's going on in the mind pretty much sets the climate. Struggle. Cruise. What's the state in between those two? Where you're feeling you're making progress but not hurting? That sweet spot.

The current yoga practice is focussed on the throat and expression of the truth. That's hard for me. Very hard. But today when we were singing the mantra, I heard my voice surging louder and clearer than before. That was liberating.