Last week I got married, it was the greatest day of my life and I cannot be happier. 🙂 🙂 🙂
This week as I slowly slip back into a routine and have had two wonderful practices in the past day I realise how much an effect not doing yoga has on my body. The feelings and sensations much stronger then that of doing yoga, go figure! My body was stiff and tightly wound, my brain foggy and when I laid down in savasana at the end of my first solid practice in over a week i thought to myself , that’s the shit.
My body has felt s much  beautiful emotion, love, anxiety, nervousness and happiness over the past month to get back on the mat and be completely in my body was such relief. The familiar soreness I carry to remind me that I’m getting stronger, the smooth breath cultivated through pranayama and the unusually quiet mind, remind me of why I love yoga. When I first started doing yoga I wondered why everyone didn’t do yoga, I was righteous and to borrow my fellow yogi, Tricia’s words, ‘evangelical’! Yoga makes sense to me in a way that perhaps swimming or cycling does to someone else, but its also for me, it suits my body and my mind. It is unrealistic when I believe in my heart that we are all so individual, that yoga asana is for everyone. It is also incredibly egotistical and ridiculous to think that yoga will prevent disease, aging or other.
My new husband is not a yogi, that is however his beautiful supta baddha konasana in the photo above, he has a job that is hard on his body and works long, unusual hours and would benefit greatly from an asana practice. The few times I have managed to be so ‘evangelical’ about the benefits of yoga, he has agreed to do some* he does beautiful yoga, his is blessed with a naturally athletic, strong body, he walks lighter and seems more centered afterwards. He also agreed in his wedding vows to take some yoga classes. ( man after my heart, I know)
But tonight sitting here feeling my yoga buzz probably combined with the sugar high from the chai shortbread I am devouring, I don’t mind if he ever steps on the mat. I know it would be of course of benefit, therapeutic even, helping to combat some of the impact his work has on his body, help him unwind, maybe even inspire him to quit smoking and eat better but he probably knows this too. If he wanted to do yoga or more importantly, if there was something about his life he wanted to change and yoga could help, all he has to do is ask his wife she is a yoga teacher after all!
I think, potentially…actually probably, I’m projecting my own desire of wanting Tom to enjoy yoga with me, than Tom just enjoying yoga so from now on I will stop. Who knows, maybe one day he may step on the mat of his own accord and maybe he won’t, I’ll love him just as much either way. I will however continue to tell him of the benefits of lying with legs up the wall after a long shift, nag him about smoking and tell him to not be so terrified of vegetable juice.
I promise to stop pushing yoga on people and just love it all to myself!
Namaste
xxxx
* When I say does yoga only poses that are either supine/lying down or sitting, and his face probably does more yoga wincing and complaining then he does!
lotuslolayoga 