Practice makes perfect

I did a 6:30 a.m. yoga class this morning and I discovered some interesting things about how I relate to my body.

The first is how angry I can get at it, when it doesn't do what I want. The other is how attuned to it that I decidedly am not. In a practice where gentleness and going at your own pace is encouraged, my tendency can be to make it a competitive sport.

The best poses come, of course, when I give in and allow my breath and my body to take over.

I had a nice exchange with another participant on the way to the TTC this morning. She looked like a highly trained professional during our class but she admitted to feeling anxious, tired and sore while doing downward dog. She admitted she hated yoga in the beginning. Now she can't live without it.

There it is. Hope comes and it's wearing lycra.