Tree Pose

The Tree Pose is the favourite yoga  pose of my officemate's girlfriend Sam.  Last year, Sam started offering yoga classes at our local community centre.  So now she is a Registered Nurse by day and a yoga instructor by night. 

I attended my first class the other Thursday so that I could get a feel of real yoga and get honest-to- goodness stretching and exercise.  I have been feeling some aches and pains plus I don't feel as strong and flexible as I used to be.  The short distance dashes to catch my bus in the morning have left me huffing and puffing (that was before my iron shot but that is another story) so I had been scared to resume my morning jogging (not that I had been jogging regularly but once upon a time I was actually able to jog without fear of running out of breath).  Although I still do a lot of walking, I haven't had much exercise.  I figured it would be best to try more rigorous exercise under the supervision of someone who could potentially save my life if something went awry.  What better opportunity than with a yoga instructor that is a Registered Nurse, right?

Not only did I get to exercise that evening but I also got a chance to 'meet the family.'   

Sam's mom always attends yoga classes.  She was the one who had introduced Sam to yoga at an early age and encouraged her (and my officemate) to practice yoga and become vegetarians.   She usually brings a friend over to class to join her and is better at yoga than most of the students half her age.   I also met my officemate's mom, who had come in with a couple of my officemate's cousins and uncle who had just arrived from Manila.   So essentially the class was like a mini-reunion for my friend.

I enjoyed the class a lot but I can't see myself going to regular classes because it would be like getting a membership to a gym if I wanted to do it regularly.  I think I have to content myself with the Wii at home if I want to do yoga although Wii Yoga is a far cry from the real thing.   

I will miss Sam and her instructions, particularly during the relaxation period where Sam reminds everyone feel the calmness and the peace of the moment, and that one can feel that sense of peace every moment of every day.

Namaste.

The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. Nama means bow, as means I, and te means you. Therefore, namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you."  - Aadil Palkhivala