Free Yoga

This morning I tried to do yoga with a television class, “Morning Yoga”, broadcasting from the local CBS channel. The program was only 30 minutes long. Due to a restricted budget I gave up my yoga class membership for a month.

The benefits of Flow Yoga cultivates cardiovascular health, and musculoskeletal strength and flexibility. It tunes and tones each organ system-respiratory, digestive, reproductive, endocrine, lymphatic and nervous. Practicing yoga reduces the negative effects of stress and “dis”-ease and cultivates the body’s capacity to relax.* If I put my mind to it I could remember the routine the instructor Lo uses at the YMCA downtown. It’s a perfect version of Flow Yoga, and the moves are moderate. However, I enjoy following an instructor, so I grabbed my mat and headed for the living room.

I miss you yoga class!

I laid out my yoga mat in front of the television, for some FREE yoga, and waited. The first two minutes were breathing exercises. Then the instructor said, “Good job. We’ll be right back after these messages.” What? YOGA WITH COMMERCIALS? I sat cross-legged in front of the screen waiting… and waiting… Sitting through car commercials, Labor Day Sale spots, and those “Do you owe back taxes to the IRS?” commercials. By the time the show returned I was pissed!

It didn’t take me too long to realize that yoga with commercials is not a good idea. As soon as I was relaxed and ready to begin, mass commercialism bombarded me with a KFC in my face! My psyche and chi were getting whipped into a frenzy. KFC vs’ Yoga?! In my mind, the two cancel each other out. The best solution to this problem was NOT to do anything, and I did.

Feeling content with my decision to do nothing,
I started to fuss around the house.
Laundry is piling up, so I started a load.
The leaves from the petunias I pulled yesterday needed to be picked up, so I swept.
A professional relationship is also on my mind.
Lighting a candle, then I took a quick walk for coffee to think.
Needed to jump on my new writing project, so I started an outline.
–Calm and a light workout came to me by doing simple household tasks.

My prayer candle Virgen de Guadalupe flickers behind my computer screen as I type.
Two Taoist proverbs also come to mind:

The way you can go isn’t the real way.
The name you can say isn’t the real name,
So the unwanting soul sees what is hidden,
And the ever wanting soul sees only what it wants.

If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.

Being a writer, I ponder my existence and think on life. You know, just sit and think. This exercise is especially valuable when you have much empty time to fill.

The deep thoughts started in:

Does anyone listen and if so does it matter?

Isn’t it enough just to think and be?

Richness and truth enter with every breath. My wanting and fussing stopped, for a while.

Today I am above ground and breathing… and… and I miss my yoga class.