How I got my start with yoga

I had the good fortune of having a great first teacher, back in 1990 in a racquetball court at a fitness club in Waterville, Maine. I practiced sun salutations, learned to link breath with movement. Sadly I don't recall his name.  There are certain phrases of his voice that I recall and ways to sit in poses like eagle and Warrior II that bring me right back to that magical summer. In retrospect I think it was a fairly Iyengar based practice but in a space that had very few props. And what I recall most from his teaching was that doing a little everyday or most days was better than nothing at all.

For many years my practice was three sun salutations (2 Sun A and 1 Sun B) before my morning shower. This was balanced by whatever silent sport was the most accessible for where I was living at that time of year: a mix of trail-running, climbing, cross-country skiing, ice skating biking and mountain biking along side with a little ultimate frisbee and ice hockey. It wasn't particularly spiritual or layered with anything but the physical practice of linking breath and movement to open the body and get ready for the day ahead.  

20+ years later my practice has evolved a little but morning is still my favorite time to practice.  I take it slow in the morning in favor of a fluid practice of listening to my body. Many days it looks and feels like seaweed rolling back and forth in the waves of low-tide and breathing with victorious oceanic inhales and exhales . Rolling on my back, stretching out my shoulders and hips and doing my best to lengthen my spine in preparation for a good sit and a little savasana.  Some days there's more. Sometimes not.  But the low bar makes it easy to get started and getting started is often the hardest part. 

Om Gam Ganapataye Namah