Hello, Monday!

I usually start with “good morning,” but it’s getting later and later, even here in Washington State. I’m on Port Townsend time, so I’m running late. A local hair salon indicates on its window that it opens at eleven-ish, so I think I’ll adopt the local lifestyle.

I spent the bulk of my weekend on a yoga mat under the tutelage of Angela Farmer. She affirmed my own approach to yoga, which is more internal, with strength and fitness a byproduct rather than the goal. We spent a lot of time focusing on areas in the body that hold tension, and with love and gentleness, invited them to unwind. My body happily responded to the nourishment; my monkey mind, with its endless chatter, is still trying to “figure out” what happened over the weekend. I shrug and say, “I’m all right,” while mind sputters with “But…but…but…”

With Farmer’s method, we travel with the body into a pose. At the first sign of tension, we stop and hang out for a while, listening to the “voice” of the tension and wriggling the tight area to invite it to release. By not forcing ourselves, and by letting go more and more, the body will use its own wisdom to release, allowing us to go farther into a pose than we thought possible.

The weekend with Angela Farmer and 35 of my new best friends taught me nothing new — and yet, it was worthwhile for reminding me of what I already know, and what my body understands even as my mind argues and frets. Any time we feel stress or strain, we can stop, breathe deeply into our backs, and reconnect our roots with the earth. As we guide ourselves with compassion back to our center, we can do the difficult tasks with a cheerful heart. This week we will do more work to get the house deal done, and I’m glad to have these reminders now!

Normally I have a theme in mind for the week, but I think in keeping with the spirit of the weekend, I”m going to hang loose and see what comes up day by day. It feels good to let go.