Beaches and Bolsters

You realize you are a seasoned yogi when you open the hotel suite door and spot a bolster on the bed along with a pile of pillows and think...”restorative pose!” The bed full of supportive fluff smiles back at you and whispers “How was that looong car ride? Didn’t have time to stop and really streeetch those legs out?  Too confined for a spinal twiiist? Awwww, poor baby!” This cooing and persuading persists as you survey your temporary digs and check out the ocean view.  

No arm twisting needed, as soon as the husband steps downstairs to take care of business you go to work:

*Blanket on the floor? √

*Bolster under the knees? √

*Pillows stacked to support back and head? √

*Washcloth over the eyes? √

“Siri, set my clock for 5 minutes please.”

Ahhhhhhhhh.

You quickly replace the linens and accurately reset the pillows in place, otherwise your husband would accuse you of having a pillow fight with yourself. Then you muse about how you can sneak that bolster down to the beach.......

Namasté

Prana on the Porch

"Have you practiced #yoga on the front porch of a bed and  breakfast? #imagineit #365yoga"

Tweeted by @neshobayoga

An early morning began with seated pranayama amongst a row of rocking chairs. I then rose and stepped over to the sunlit side of the porch to awaken a downward facing dog and flow through several surya namaskar A’s. I continued with some standing poses and an upright pigeon variation (I squatted deeply and extended my arms laterally while I envisioned a heron perched on a fishing pier.) Savasana was swapped for tadasana with hands poised at anjali mudra for several minutes-to provide myself with a grounded clarity for 

the day.

This grand Victorian Lady presides on an urban Pensacola street corner, it’s been her post for over one hundred years. I can imagine that she has witnessed some unusual events in her city, but has there been anyone else to practice yoga on her porch...or am I the first?