Of Yoga, Squirrels, and The Eye of the Tiger

The first yoga class I ever attended was a core yoga class at Journeys in Yoga. As is typical for my fitness situation, I chose something that fit my schedule, not thinking too hard about what I was getting into. (That explains why I ate a half a bag of mellocremes two hours before the class ... yuck.) The class I wandered into was a Core Yoga class. Over the 14 months since that first class, it became a necessity, right there behind breathing, eating, and the other "have-to's" of life.

Now our teacher John is moving on to a long term work opportunity outside of Tallahassee. By way of a farewell, a list:

 "You Know You're a Regular at John's Core Yoga When"

It doesn't surprise you that "The Only Exception" is followed by "Kung Fu Fighting."

The acronyms RSHB and LSHB mean something to you.

The song "Eye of the Tiger" is more of an "elbow walkup thing" than a "Rocky" thing in your head.

You can't listen to Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks" without dropping into a forward fold.

You know to ask "is that all planks or just elbow planks?" when told, "that's it for planks."

Counts and time spans are a bit "estimate-y" (but isn't that 121st squat good for us after all?).

The phrase "that's my dog" may mean your yoga position or this song (or both).

You know to find your stretch (which is probably a lot easier than finding your neighbor's).

It doesn't faze you, during hydrants, to hear one option for the diameter of your knee circles described as "the circumference of a squirrel's head" ..... or when your teacher, having pondered a moment, says, "well the squirrel's still alive."

You know you can "fall out when you need to," but you really, really, really don't want to because you feel so supported and motivated.

You know you're a regular in John's core yoga class when, in the midst of trying to say goodbye (for now) with humor and a bit of satire, you have to stop long enough to say the most sincerely felt of "thank you's" .... for helping us find more physical strength than we thought possible, along with a healthy dose of inner strength too.

Nothing squirrel-y about that.