Day 156 - Yoga Yoga Yoga

Yoga. Today. Not once. Not twice. Three times. Bugger me! An early morning bit of 'self-practice', meaning I did it on my own; a free session at The Hub with a lady from Stockholm; the first of 20 days of 'free pass' at a yoga centre in Islington. I'm not in the country for all of those 20 days. I calculated about 15, and that I'd still make the most of it (given that one class is £15 and the 20 days' unlimited is £20, it's a no-brainer, really). I overheard someone else who'd just joined chatting with the receptionist and it sounds like there might be some flexibility with that. It's always worth a try. 


I had to do something. I've missed the yoga so much that this morning, I set off with yoga kit in my bag. If I hadn't found an alternative, I'd be back to sex yoga cult people. I was ACHING to go back, actually, and this first session, though quite good, was marked in its difference. It was fast, flowy, dynamic. All good, but when it's your first time and you have little idea of what they're talking about, it's not ideal. There wasn't so much as a mention of a chakra. Ha... if I spend all my time comparing it with the school I've just come from, I'm not going to do very well, am I? I miss the spiritual side of it. It was more like an exercise class, this one, and less calm. There were oms, don't get me wrong. And even a tiny harpsichord thingy that the lady played. There was talk of 'staying present'. No spiritual talking, though, and no questions about first-timers, injuries, experience either. Just straight into it. All newcomers have to fill in a form that promises they won't sue for injuries, whether they were caused by injuries or not. I filled in my form, but didn't sign. Not sure where we stand.


I am deeply, deeply grateful for 12 years without the alcohol that had got too much back then. 12 years today. Bloody hell. Normally I buy myself a thing. I feel so much better about this day as a day to celebrate than I do about my birthday. On birthdays, there's an expectation. On this semi-secret day, there's none. I do prefer celebrating an ongoing achievement than a random happening. I think mothers have more to celebrate on their children's birthdays. Pushing one of them out IS an achievement. I didn't buy myself a thing, but I did say yes to this yoga trial. Drinking alcohol was a path I wanted to get off. Luckily, I got off it before it got really gnarly. Yoga's a path I want to get on. I feel like I've let it go such a long time, and now is the time. Let's do it.



A beautiful little gift this morning: the trees on the Heath, drenched in sunlight. Behind them, wherever there were shadows, the frost still stayed. Not just where the shadows fell, though - the frost stayed all around that area, so each tree had a naked trunk with sunlight bouncing off, and a proper, full white winter tree behind. Lovely, lovely. And robins. Two robins flew very close today. Ruth had a chat with one in her garden the other day. It seemed quite engaged. These did not chatting, just a little bit of flitting. I found myself smiling.