A week from today…

One week from today, I will be home… I am beyond excited to get home and meet my Granddaughter (she will be 1 month old!), hug my people and be with my dogs. I am also acutely aware of how much I will miss this place – the program, the people, the beauty, the peace and quiet, the discipline. The view in the morning as the fog fills the air and the sky starts to lighten, the chill in the air, the quiet and a trust cup of hot tea.

The things I miss most are simple and that in and of itself is a lesson. I yearn for a washing machine, a chair to sit in and my bed. The only food item I am craving is some coconut yogurt with gluten free granola.

The last several days of asana have included forearm stand, handstand, a drop back to wheel (those are the ones I have tried or been supported into trying by my teacher and/or classmates) – there have been many more that are beyond my current skill that I eagerly watched and cheered for my classmate’s nailing. I can now align and adjust someone in pincha, moving from crow or crane into a handstand and back, and more. My physical practice has changed a lot – things that were do-able before now seem impossible and vice versa. I can’t do a crow to save my life at the moment but heck if I didn’t do a teacher assisted drop back to wheel followed by a supported wheel in tonights practice. The last two nights we have done a Mysore practice of Sun Salutation A, Sun Salutation B and the Ashtanga Primary Series – this is where you take the practice and perform it at your own pace tuning into your own rhythm and capabilities. There is no music. There is a classroom full of people. And you do your own thing, all alone with your breath body and mind.

We are now to the point where things are being counted down – 3 more asana practices before our final off day, what day do I need to do my last load of laundry (or send one to be done) to guarantee it will be dry (it’s so humid here that laundry takes days to dry, and as we are getting cooler we can’t depend on the afternoon sun to help it along), etc… It’s exciting and bittersweet at the same time. Our final assessment topics and assignments have been defined and work is underway.

I waited for a long time to take a trip like this, for a variety of reasons. I spent the first few weeks upset with myself that it took this long, I have let that go (I know it wasn’t helpful). This journey has created a desire for more – more exploration and adventure, more trying new things, more self-discovery, more doing it solo. My wish for each of you is to do something you have only dreamed of – something you feel like you’re too old or young for, not in shape for, and maybe even a little scared of (there was a lot of fear that preceded this for me).

Namaste!