THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

"There's no place like home…."  Dorothy (of the Wizard of Oz) and I agree.   I've just returned from a trip to Alaska -- my first visit there and my first cruise, as well.   There was a lot I liked about the adventure, if you can call a luxury cruise liner an "adventure".  Yet, after about the third day out, I felt the pull of home.  And we still had to finish the cruise and do the Denali tour portion of the 11-day trip before I could head back to Washington.

So, I did what I do whenever I start to feel antsy or anxious -- when the pull of home got too strong, I got quiet, closed my eyes for a few moments, practiced breathing slowly and steadily and got very present in the moment -- not looking back, not looking forward, just being in that sweet silent space of "now".  Then I whined a little bit to my husband about how much I hate traveling.  Oh well….nice try.

Actually the trip was quite nice; we had perfect weather and saw some beautiful scenery.  We were traveling with friends and there was much laughter and have many stories we will share as we reminisce over the years to come.  And I'm still happy to be home, even if I seem to be a bit disoriented during my re-entry.

This morning I was back at the studio for the first time in two weeks.  I hopped out of my car and made a beeline for the door, only realizing when I was stashing my shoes that I'd left my mat in the backseat.  Hmmm…   Once class started I also realized that good intentions on the cruise didn't translate into actually going to any of the 7:00 a.m. Yoga classes they offered.  I felt stiff and out of practice.  "Take it slow", I told myself.  And I did.  Karen talked a lot today about riding the wave of the breath, riding the wave of the asanas.  My waves today were small and gentle, lapping at the shore as I carefully made my way back into the flow.

I thought a lot about "home" too and what home represents to me.  It's a place of safety, sanctuary, warmth, and comfort.  Just like our resting poses.  I wondered if others have a pose that is "home" to them.  Is there a pose where you feel like you could stay there forever?  Like you've come "home" to that place of refuge from the edge, from stimulation and challenge?  I know mine…it's Balasana -- Child's Pose.  My knees bent beneath me, supporting my body, arms stretched over my bowed head, my face against the familiar soft "ground" of my brown mat (the color chosen as that of the earth, to ground me in my practice).  I love relaxing into that "home" pose, safe and content.

It was great to be back in class today, seeing familiar faces, moving through familiar asanas -- even if I need to modify and go more slowly for awhile.   We stretch, we move, we flow out and flow back again, exploring and experiencing…but always coming back home. ©

Namaste....donnajurene