As the routine progresses into more advanced and contorted postures such as the Hero and the Camel, I don't fare quite so well. But I've lost a lot of my self-consciousness. Don't let your mind get in the way, we'd been told all weekend. Let the physical sensation from the posture -- the tingling, the heat -- be your anchor to the present. Unlike conventional exercise, the question to ask with yoga isn't what do you want to achieve, it's how do you want to feel. For the first time in 24 hours, I believe I have a clue.
as we emerge from the closing session, I reflect on my two-day journey. I've put a few addictions on hold -- caffeine, competition, corn chips. I haven't sworn them off, but I'm pleased to know my cravings can be reigned in without suffering a catastrophic breakdown. I can stretch, really stretch, without inducing boredom or muscle tears. I can generate deep, calming breaths. Perhaps most important, I realize that stress -- as dramatic, macho, and endlessly time-consuming as it is -- probably doesn't need to fill every nook and cranny of my life. If I've proven anything in my better moments at Kripalu, it is this: I can, with practice, go slow with the best of 'em.
Coordinates: Prices for the two-night Yoga for Beginners start at $190; Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, 800-741-7353
Todd Balf (72774.2435@compuserve.com) , a contributing editor at "Outside" magazine. He lives in Beverly, Massachusetts.
Email
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Buzz Up!
LinkedIn
