I've Missed You. Yoga with Regina: The Lawn Outside the Kihei Surfside Resort: Kihei, HI: November 9, 2020

Finally! A return to a group class. Outside. Spaced. Sunset. Heaven.

I took my first group class this evening. Outside. On the ocean. Overlooking the Maui sunset. Me, my covid paranoia, and my yoga mat were all far outside of the circle of eight yogis, properly distanced, respectfully spaced, but you know what? It counts. I was part of. I was there.

I was close enough, thank you very much. And that’s the thing about yoga; you know from the inside out where to place yourself in this world. And while I might not have been in perfect alignment mat-wise, making a picture perfect yoga circle, I was perfectly aligned for me. Less of the point is where my mat was, and more where my heart was. One thing shined abundantly clear during our gorgeous sunset yoga class : community bolsters my joy, peace, and happiness, my resolve, and my faith. From my little blue mat slightly off to the side my heart was busting open, remembering what freedom really feels like. . Oh how I’ve missed you.

I am an introvert, by nature. I’ve discovered my codepencent behaviors are rooted in my inclinations as an empath. Yet, as sure as the fact that every vote counts, participation in this thing called life is medicine. Connection is Truth. We’re all glued together regardless of any amount of distance, social or otherwise.

Tonight’s yoga class externally played out what I’ve been feeling like internally. And. how could it be otherwise? Sages always are trying to help us understand the isomorphic nature of Reality, and as my teacher Ravi Ravindra put’s it eleqontly and in easy- to -understand succinctness (especially when you see it for yourself, like tonight) “Everything which one sees external is actually inside oneself”.

Now, this class coincided in the midst of my website redo, a logo developemnet, my first video course launch, and designing my book Downdogs for Roaddogs,. I’ve been wrestilng, creating, writing, moon visioning for years. I’ve been working through self doubt and fear, and whlle they are still there, the joy of jumping back into community is pulling me through the other, very real and worldly side of online presence.

In a heartwrenching decision I’ve opted not to teach in a traditional studio this winter. Last night’s class sparked in me comfort in pursuing new and innovative possibilities, and of honoring my own path. Not only finding my step by step forward moving, but also following along with that heart feeling of what aligns with a deep full breath of freedom in this moment. Working online is one solution and maybe, just maybe teaching outside somewhere is a new layer coming into view. It’s too early to tell for sure, but the first spark of “maybe” happened tonight. And that was almost as exciting to see as much as a group of yogis around me.

We all know how it feels when you’re doing a lunge, whether you’re in a group class or practicing online. Just enough is medicine, too deep is torture. Rumi writes, “through love all pain turns to medicine”, and tonight’s yoga class sure felt like love to me so I’m happy I took the leap to join in a group class again (thank you Robyn Russell for the invitation!).

Love. I’ve missed you,.

And by you I mean not only the collective love so immistakenly felt in tonight’s class. But also, my own heartbeat. The place deep within that’s been so scared for so many months, for so too damn many years. The one who loves to burst open, and come out to play.

Nourishing my own heart and being part of aren’t mutually exclusive. Rather it is the very path to attaining both.

Health, Love, and Rock and Roll