My time at the Equinox health club is progressing well. I return to play tennis full throttle in January 2013.
Mission accomplished.
I continuously go to the club because of the year long contractual obligation. But most importantly, I enjoy the yoga and Pilate, and could tell them apart.
A few months into the yoga, one day the instructor introduces a new pose, prasarita padottanasana – Standing Forward Bend Shoulder Opener. The name looks intimidating but the pose is really simple.
“Stand hip-width with soft knees. Interlace your hands behind your back.”
Kim the instructor rarely demonstrates. She prefers to teach by words.
“Inhale and lift your chest up and exhale and fold over fold over your legs.”
She has a smoothing lovely voice. A tin island accent only makes her voice whimsical.
“Relax. Move your arms over your head.” The eventual goal is to have your hands touch the floor with your hyperextended arm.
Many yogis when practice, is to live in that moment. To find tranquility, to find inner peace; relax and to regroup. I can certainly live in the moment, find peace and to relax but most time, I find my mind wandering. Therefore, I often peek to copy what other model yogis are doing. So I don’t have to follow her wordy instructions, thus freeing up my mind.
One look to my right. I am stunned.
Oh my dear Lord.
Is this really a yoga pose? I suddenly feel tears filled my eyes.
What they are posing now is .. doing the airplane 坐飞机, a torturous position which was widely used to humiliate the alleged class enemies during the Cultural Revolution in China.
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