did you know there was a Yoga pose called warrior three? i just learned this last week during my first yoga class in nyc. to be honest, i had always found yoga to be, well, quite boring. peaceful, check. relaxing, check. but something just was not clicking. maybe it was the fact that my mind continued to race while i would hold child’s pose or downward facing dog. it raced so much with the thoughts and concerns of my life that i often wished i was a child or even better, a dog. however, “yoga to the people”, a studio in the east village, has changed my yoga outlook and may make a yogini out of me after all. this amazing sanctuary is donation based (one of the incredible “free” things in the city) and located only about ten minutes from my apartment. during the first class, i thought i was going to collapse on many occasions, as my legs shuttered through chair pose. somehow, i survived. i was amazed that my hands actually connected to form a bind. when i felt them touch one another, was shocked. “is that really my hand?” i thought. as i glanced around the room to check that i was doing the right pose (i’m still working on the terminology), i could hardly believe that i was holding the same position as those around me. now, i have been incredibly sore over the past few days (it has only been less than one week). however, the muscles are starting to adjust, i think. maybe i will be able to do a real push up someday. 

what i Love most about yoga, aside from the strength building/conditioning part of it, is the relaxation component. the instructors at yttp (the abbreviation for “yoga to the people”) offer sage advice with a degree of humor and even sometimes sarcasm. i enjoy this edge. one class even had acoustic pop music playing in the background. it gave the practice, as it is called, a unique vibe. yesterday i was told to just try to relax for a whole sixty minutes. i had been feeling especially overwhelmed/tense/anxious/concerned/you name it, i felt it, at the time, so this reminder was very much appreciated. 

yoga emphasizes the importance of being you (or me, i guess i should say) and that is what i love about class and new york in general. i love that i can be anyone or anything here. no one is weird or strange and at the same time, everyone is weird AND strange. and frankly, that rocks! amidst all of my confusion and through my self-exploration, i think i am finally beginning to find me. boy is it a long process :)

to borrow a quote from a comic book artist with whom i’m working (more on this later)…

“life is shitty, but ain’t it grand”

i just love this. peace.