At the Stillpoint

In Salcedo, Makati that is. Such a cozy hOMe Becky and Karen have made of it. With the help of Stillpoint regulars who stash their mats, towels, bath products and other belongings there and make the shala look like a cross between a college dormitory and  serious ashram. After practice, one is greeted with the sound of fresh fruit juice concoctions and the smell of oven-baked goodness which are offered and passed around freely and generously. Such is the spirit of sharing at Stillpoint Manila. How I've missed it! Om.

Upside, downside

Reality sets in. I was growing very apprehensive about my lack of preparation for John's Mysore workshop. I was coming in cold, I told Karen when I met her at the shala before my appointed 8:15 a.m. practice. For a month a nasty bug had besieged our home sickening my son, daughter, baby and myself in its wake. That meant resting, recuperating, recovering and not practising for 30 days.  In addition I had to get up at 5 a.m. for one week to beat the rush hour traffic to Makati. I had to sneak out before my kids awoke, skip breakfast and drive while sleepy and with the day semi-dark and still dewy. On the upside, this guaranteed me a parking space safely behind the shala and best of all, gave me a close view of how John and Becky taught and adjusted the 6:15 a.m. group of practitioners.    

Being early also gave me the opportunity to re-acquaint myself with the counted vinyasa that Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga advocates and which I had been working on every Sunday with B during her Led class.  For a while and before THAT virus struck,  I had come to prefer Led classes over Mysore practice because of the meditative effect counted vinyasa began to have over me. From time to time, I would catch myself closing my eyes and fully concentrating on synchronizing breath and bandhas. And only when the asana got too challenging did I lose that synchronicity.

Upside, downside. For some would be a question of perspective. I think it's just a matter of balance. Om.

Meant to Be

Some things are meant to be. The week before the JS workshop, B messaged me that someone had backed out of the week of Mysore morning practice with John. "Are you still free for that?" she asked. Not normally one to call back, I didn't just text her but quickly called her mobile to thank her (profusely) and accept. Thank you God for kind and beautiful beings like Becky.  Life is sweet. Om.