101 in 1001: #88

#88 on my list is "Take a Yoga Class."

When I was taking Sammy for a walk last Thursday night we went a little farther down Main Street than usual and that took us down Lima Street towards home. As we walked past Open Circle Yoga studio I noticed that they had a class schedule posted on the door, so we went up to take a peek. I was excited to find that there was a class that fit my schedule – Sunday mornings from 8:30-9:30!

I practiced yoga when I lived in Toledo a few years ago and loved it. For me, it's more about the mind than the body and I missed the wholeness and balance that it brought to my life.

I was a little nervous about dropping in on a class that I hadn't ever been to but I found the people at Open Circle to be very welcoming and friendly. I unrolled my mat in the back row and waited for class to begin. Melinda began the instruction with a period of meditation. We began in Corpse Pose and she asked us to close our eyes and focus on our breath. As I did that I became aware of the cool morning breeze drifting in the open window behind me. I heard a bird rustling and waking up for the day.

Melinda then asked us to set our intention for class that day. An intention in yoga practice is not a goal. It's a way of being in each moment. An intention is deciding what matters most and then aligning yourself – your thoughts and actions – with that.

She gave a us a few minutes to think about our intention for practice that day. As I listened to my breath and slowly began to move my body I knew my intention – to give thanks in all things.

At the end of class, during closing relaxation, she asked us to reflect on our intention again and then to take our intention home and remember it and embody it during the week to come. I'm still working on that.

As I walked home from yoga on Sunday morning I gave thanks again. Looking down the sidewalk, a few blocks away I saw Ali and Sammy coming to meet me. I knew it was going to be a really good day.