Pointing Inward

Day 31, Hour 25 of 120 Hours of Yoga


Every time I walk into the yoga building, my routine is the same: check-in to class, leave my flip-flops on the floor near the shoe bins, walk into the studio and settle into my spot until class starts. Most of my time there is spent in silence. I might say hello to the instructor as I walk in, or tell them I checked-in using the app, but that's all. I hear other students chatting outside the yoga studio door as they arrive. Clearly some know each other, or attend class with a friend or a partner. I'm here by myself.

When I walked in to Modo for hour 25 of my 120 hour yoga challenge, Austin was standing behind the desk. We engaged in conversation. Not just "hello, how are you, see you in there", but actual conversation. We chatted for maybe 5 minutes. We ended the conversation with "see you in the studio" and then I placed my flip-flops where I always do. If you've read my past blog entries, you'll know that I always place my shoes on the floor (and not on a shelf)  pointed towards the exit doors so that I can literally walk into them and out the door when class is finished. It's symbolic, representing something I'm really not sure how to articulate, but I know it likely has something to do with my tendency to always leave a way out. 

After my conversation with Austin, I placed my shoes for the first time with the heels facing the exit, and the toes facing inwards, towards the yoga studio. I was hyper aware of what I was doing and had a visceral sense of being committed to the space today. 

During class I kept thinking about my shoes outside the door, facing towards me this time instead of toward the exit door. And for the next hour I found myself breathing a little deeper, and stretching a little further than I had before.

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