For the past three weeks I’ve been taking part in a yoga class every Wednesday morning. While I’ve practiced yoga at home for quite a few years now, I wanted to brush up on the poses to make sure I’m doing them correctly and learn some new breathing techniques.
The class is small which is nice and the teacher is someone I’ve gotten to know over the past year. I enjoy her calming presence and energy. The class is held on the first floor of a building that has been vacant for quite a few years. I’m not sure what is upstairs, but next door is a bar. Interesting balance, huh?
Last week while we were getting ourselves into tree pose, some using the wall to steady themselves, me right into the pose without help as it’s my favorite one, it was then we heard what sounded like a jackhammer coming from upstairs. Talk about distraction! Alex, the instructor who had her back to us turned to look at us, with her mouth formed in a big O, while at the same time a small smile behind her surprised expression.
The noise and Alex’s funny expression knocked me right out of tree pose. At first the thought ran through my mind that didn’t they know we were having a yoga session downstairs? Couldn’t they wait to start up the jackhammer until the class ended?
But I was reminded of what yoga teaches us and that it is about being present and calm while on the mat, but also taking that same philosophy off the mat… and even when a jackhammer is drowning out the instructions from the yoga instructor.
I immediately dismissed my frustrated thoughts and followed along with Alex who was doing the same. There was another burst of jackhammer as we moved into another pose and I realized this may last the duration of the class. It would be a practice of learning to stay present despite the commotion above us.
But how interesting in accepting this may be the case, that we were gifted with no more jackhammer intrusions after the second outburst. And how this is a practice to bring into our daily lives when the day isn’t going as planned or you encounter anger – to practice staying in the present, keep calm, and know it will pass soon enough.
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