Sun Salutations in the Sun

I practiced in the late afternoon sunshine on my back porch today. My chest felt like it was really popping through my arms, and I was curious as to whether it showed. So, I decided to take some video footage. It turned out rather poorly, production-values-wise. And, actually, my Updogs don't look nearly as good as they felt.

BUT...when I look at this video, it actually makes me feel very very calm.

Can watching yoga make you feel calm?

Well, yeah. I think it can.

I remember one time just a little over five years ago, when I used to practice Bikram, and I was finishing up my chemo, and I had a horrible eye infection because after six months of chemo, I was left with like zero white blood cells to fight infection, and I had to have an MRI of my eyeballs. It was scary. Not so much because my head was in a vice while the machine of doom whirred loudly and the techies standing around me were instructing me to hold still for about 15 minutes. But more because I was scared shitless about what the MRI might show. Sure, they were looking for infections in my eye sockets. But what was to stop them from finding a brain tumor?

Somehow I had the presence of mind to visualize the Bikram sequence. One by one, I saw myself practicing each asana in my mind's eye. And I remained calm. And still. And the techies got their film. And it was over in what seemed like a moment or two, even though it was far longer.

It was a nice practice. I told myself I only had to do Primary. So, naturally, I did my entire practice. Funny how that works.

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;