"Stretch ..."

Stretching out your tightness
good enough to make you grow
We are all in favour of this motion
stretching out your tightness
time to open up your whole


i'm a bird and i can fly away
i can shift in so many shapes
make it up as i go along
that way it is never wrong

~ Red Hot Chili Peppers ~ Stretch ~
***


Last night for the first time since my diagnosis I went to hot yoga.  Now I have been practicing yoga at home but this time I ventured to the studio with my girlfriend.  We figured if all else fails, I could lie there for one hour and pretend I was vacationing at a sunny resort far far away.  I was nervous about the whole thing too ... how would I handle the heat, would I remember any of the Vinyasa postures, would I feel ill, would I pass out ... all the crazy thoughts that go thru your mind.  But I was pleasantly surprised.  Not only did I make through the class and postures, I made it MY practice ... ding, ding, ding ... yep the key to yoga ~ the courage you bring to your practice.  And I was loving the heat, the warm embrace, and the comfort.  It felt like getting back on a bicycle after a wee bit of a break.  It felt good.


The studio is my favourite ~ Hot Yoga on Crowfoot.  They have put a great deal of time, knowledge and care into creating a wonderful atmosphere.  They have clay walls that are natural and full of great qualities so that you are breathing in all the good you can.  And believe me, you are really breathing hard during these classes.  They also have fresh air circulating through the studio and the flooring is ergonomically designed to prevent injuries.  If that isn't enough, they clean with environmentally friendly products and are eco friendly when it comes to their showers and toilets.  


Within this one hour class, I was visualizing the release of toxins and poisons from my body, flushing out ~ an overall cleansing effect.  Now the Gerson therapy cautions us to over exert ourselves, making sure our energy is used to fight our illness first and foremost.  I was fully aware of my limitations and listening to my body, making sure to meet myself where I was at that moment with no judgement.  And I was so concentrated with my breathing, concentrated in my practice and a times felt like I was the only one in the room.  So, I have set my intentions to once a week and am excited to re-introduce this in my life.  Yoga is the connects the mind and body with conscious breathing, without,  it is just a bunch of shapes and sorts on a mat.

As I continue on this journey, I realize that change is not something that we should fear, rather it is something we should welcome ~ otherwise nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom ... possibly missing the opportunity to move forward to become the person we're meant to be.

"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape"