August, 2011

After a few celebrations of my 39th birthday, I was spiraling into sedentary, and I could feel old-fartdom lurking. My shoulders and hips ached. My middle was expanding. I couldn’t touch my toes and I was beginning to worry that I would soon lose sight of them. Being past the need for any type A form of exercise, I was looking for something to keep me supple and strong.

In September of 2009 my wife’s job brought me to Harrsionburg. Serendipity brought me to Anusara Yoga at The Center. Soon after starting yoga, my shoulder and hip pain disappeared. Although not a Gumby doll by any st-r-e-t-ch of the imagination, I can now stretch in places where I didn’t even know I had places!

Much to my delight, I feel muscle mass building up and fat mass fading away. Even better, I have found Anusara to be self-regulating, so on those high energy days I can make my practice as extreme as I like. Anusara’s emphasis on alignment and the non-competitive, yet rigorous attitude of fulfilling ones own potential is my cup of (Chai?) tea.

While I have benefited greatly from the stretching and asanas of yoga, I also enjoy the idea of community (kula), the nurturing atmosphere, and the spiritual seeking that Suzanne brings to her classes at The Center. I love Suzanne’s non-provincial and generous attitude; she embraces different schools of thought and welcomes other accomplished practitioners to the studio.

Between my struggles to develop a daily yoga practice, I do photography, ballroom dancing, and keep my wife’s computer going. Oh yeah, and I’m retired