In my favorite yoga class last Saturday morning, the teacher guided us through a series of poses meant to symbolize letting go of the old and welcoming the new. We did a series of cleansing twists; we moved through a few exuberant sun salutations. We stood in Warrior II pose, arms radiating like arrows from either sides of our bodies, front knees bent, thighs parallel to the ground.
What do you need to let go of? the teacher asked us, quietly, as she moved throughout the room. We responded silently, thoughts whirling through our heads.
My hamstrings quivered as I tried to stay in position. My calves clenched like fists. Darts of twinging pain remind me of the knee injury that changed the second half of 2006 for me; my body is not the same as it was one year ago. In some ways I feel like I’m starting over again in yoga, despite the fact that I've been practicing for more than 6 years.
We turned our back palms up to face the ceiling; releasing what we needed to release, holding on to lessons learned.
The hourglass that is 2007 contains just a few grains of sand; I have no doubt that it, like most years, will contain both pain and joy.
Here I am! Ready for whatever lies ahead. New tastes. New places. New insights. The New, hand in hand with old familiar favorites, ancient wisdom, the tried and true. And the journey continues…
Happy New.
