Maybe if you hum a few bars...

Years ago I took yoga regularly. Generally once or twice a week for several years. I wasn't great at it, but I knew what I was supposed to do whether I could actually do the pose or not. The style of yoga I did is called Iyengar, named after B. K. S. Iyengar (read more about him here).

For several reasons, I stopped taking yoga classes in 2002. I never had much of an at-home practice and anything I did do soon fell away. I was, however, still in touch with my yoga teacher, Sabine Kühner over the years. When she learned I was moving to Portland, she told me that if I was ever interested in taking yoga again that I should look up her friend and fellow Iyengar teacher, Anne. After more than a year in Portland and spending most of my time sitting on my butt either at the computer or at my workbench, I decided it would be a good thing for my body to look into starting yoga again. Turns out Anne teaches at a studio (Yoga Shala) very close to my home. What luck! My first class, I introduced myself to Anne and told her I used to study with Sabine. She asked if I moved up about a year ago; Sabine had told her about me!

Taking yoga after all this time is like hearing a song I used to know. I still know the melody, but I don't remember all the words. Last night Anne said, "Do you know yaddayaddasana?" I said "maybe if you hum a few bars". Fortunately the other students though this was funny and not out of line. I really don't remember the names of most of the asanas, but my body seems to remember doing them. I still can't do them very well, but me and my body are happy to be getting back in touch with each other. I'm hoping we will be friends again soon.

Little glass Yoga Ladies by artist Leah Pellegrini and available in her Etsy shop.