Yoda to Yoga

It was a very bad left knee , a brutal winter and the fear of starring in the next shallow hal special edition that led me to take up Yoga .
Like most things I've grown to love ,appreciate and value in my life - This too ..wasnt by choice . It was simply - meant to be.

Yoga - a story , a challenge , an art , a science , a Philosophy .
The story of my life , what I bring to the practice and more importantly what I choose not to .
The challenge inside my mind and heart- to maintain focus and balance.
The art is in the breathing - that is constant no matter what else twists .
The science is deep inside my bones and the philosophy is all mine .

Today - Erin kept teaching me to keep a "Neutral Spine"
She said that it would be much easier and enjoyable if I did . Now if only it could be so easy to incorporate that otherwise.
One of my biggest challenges is to be in reverse triangle . Reverse Trikonasana .
How is it possible to have both your feet on the ground and open your heart to the sky ?
A challenge - inside and outside class.
Its much easier to be a proud warrior than to be a dancer - and be swayed in constant balance .

Todays class wont be forgotten in a long time .
One of the newer members of the class was sitting next to me and we chatted at the end of class . She told me that she had been in India - the first 10 years of her life . In Bombay ...and it was the most unforgettable experience .
Her father was an engineer and built a very large dam post independence.
I was intrigued - I asked her which dam and where .
She said it was near Calcutta .
So I started naming all the dams I know - which is 5.(Shame on me )
Bhakaranangal , Nagarjunsagar,Hirakud , Gandhisagar and Koyna .

And inside my mind - I'm thinking that what are the odds . This is all I know about dams in India .. . How terribly ignorant and arrogant .
And she says very calmly - I think its Hirakud . She said it was in a small village called Sambalpur in a place called Orissa . They would take the train to calcutta and then go there .

I just kept staring at her . I knew that Koyna was in Maharashtra , Bhakranangal was Himachal and Gandhisagar was MP - because I've actually seen all three. The remaining 2 - I had no clue ...and no Google nearby .

So she is very pleased ..and says ..so Hirakud ..You know this dam. And I was like ..Do I know this dam ..its in every 6th standard text book in 2nd most populated country in the world ...and your father built this damn ?!
And she just smiled and said ..yes . We will never forget those times . I wish I could go back .
I said Happy Independence Day to you too.

So Sandy - was right there in India she said ..post independence while her father worked on this government project... I came home simling and feeling like something had shifted.

This Yoga class - truly changes my life .
Every week something happens . The puzzle becomes less complicated , the pieces fall into place somehow . I dont know whether its the practice that opens the doors and my mind for new experiences ,more receptive to the voice of the world , people , feelings ..or its just fated somehow ..but 4 times a week somehow ..
I find a little bit of me in everyone and a little bit of everyone in me .
And somehow ..if only for a little bit - The Force is with me .