There’s a stickie note on my wall that reads, “Do yoga.” It’s been there for about a month. There are about 20 more stickie notes on the wall to the left of this one. Most of them are telling me to do something. I wrote them all.
I did some yoga this evening. About two weeks ago, I went down to storage to pull out a yoga mat I’ve had for about six years. It’s seen more use as a scratching post than a piece of sporting equipment. I brought it up to my apartment and stood it next to a foam roller.
The pain caused by sitting all day forced me into action. My body feels rigid, as if the joints are purposefully tight so as to hold the attached appendages in place. My muscles are tight too, likely from the effort required to manipulate my joints. It’s unpleasant when you’re trying to do anything other than what you are currently doing.
I followed a Yoga by Adrienne video for beginners. It was good. At first, I felt awkward sitting on a yoga mat in my living room in front of a TV with the blinds open behind me. When she asked for me to sit up straight and align my spine, the reason I was doing this came rushing back to me. That’s when I figured I couldn’t catch anybody looking in because I can’t see behind me.
Like a slow game of musical chairs, my body moved through various levels. The transitions were performed carefully. After coming out of a downward facing position, I stood up and felt like I could see over the top of the TV for the first time. The last I checked, I stand at 181 cm and the top of the TV can’t be higher than four-and-a-half feet. The new view had nothing to do with height.
The yoga is likely responsible. It wasn’t strenuous enough to cause hallucinations but more like a diagnostic test. I was able to do most of it well enough to know where I’m at – I’m still very much a beginner. The stickie note needs to stay up.
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