pretzel practice

I was reminded of a past lover of mine today as i twisted my legs around each other, standing up but with knees bent into a half seated position while my arms crossed and twisted in front of me was supposed to gracefully represent an eagle.

Sounds more kinky than it is, really.

Eyes set to a point of focus in the near distance to help me balance I really tried to see how this could look like an eagle. I don't believe i achieved the intended grace of this bird of prey but i may well have represented a more common snack food; the pretzel. And it seems to fit, as i am planning my first trip to New York and on my 'to do list' besides finding a new, energetic lover, is to eat a salty pretzel from a street vendor.

Condensation gathered between my elbows, a combination of the tropical heat and physical exertion made the creases in my limbs slippery. I pressed my twisted palms tighter together trying to avert my body's desire to unwind into a more familiar position. Which is when the giggle started to build, not only am i now physically representing the pretzel but actually, I'm gonna taste like one too. And there it comes, the giggle is out the 'pretzel practice' comment of a former lover making complete sense, I achieve a kind of serenity, an understanding, as i unwittingly burst the concentration of those around me.

I eventually regain composure, just in time for 'shivasana' or 'corpse pose' an asana that traditionally ends a yoga session. It's actually more difficult than you might imagine, lying flat on your back after stretching intensely and trying to find that space of 'nothingness'. The instructor taking this class is talking us through a relaxation technique by encouraging us to focus on one body part at a time, from our toes all the way up the body. Increment by increment, until we get to the head and face, relaxing the cheek muscles, the jaw and the forehead. Then she asks us to relax our 'hair follicles' and i get the giggles again.

'That's perfect!' I think to myself. I am going to, throughout this trip, 'check in with myself' from time to time and see how much I can relax my hair follicles over the journey...