grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Crafts
  • Farm
  • Food
  • Garden
  • Reading & Books
  • Sunday Letter
  • SHOP!
  • Privacy Policy

Seven Shades of Yoga

September 4, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner 24 Comments

morgueFile Kakisky
Within seven seconds, I chose yoga over Facebook. I hadn’t been to yoga in weeks and was spending way too much time with the other. But I’d been busy. Writing, I’m alway writing. And last month I had strep throat that lingered. Plus we just returned from vacation. 
Yada, yada. 
Excuses, excuses. 
Seven minutes later, I was out the door and into the humid morning wearing my favorite yoga pants that somehow seemed smaller.
After a seven minute drive, I signed my name on the clipboard. “Don’t worry if I spend the whole class in child’s pose—just ignore me, I’m rusty.” I explained to Michelle who teaches Explore the Body. I needed to explore my body. We had become strangers as of late.
Michelle laughed and promised to call an ambulance if I stopped breathing altogether. She’s nice that way.
I sorted through at least seven yoga mats to uncover mine, dusty and abandoned, propped in the corner where I left it in July.  
Seven minutes into shoulder stretches, I felt the squeeze of a Charley Horse building through my arm. I adjusted. Charley eventually released his vise-grip hold on my invisible bicep, but not until I reverted to steady pre-labor breathing exercises. 
Seven minutes later, I floundered into and out of Thread the Needle Zen Pose. But I did it. Sort of.
Seven more poses, and my shoulders loosened, my mind cleared, the nerve endings in my body tingled. 
Seven cleansing breaths into Uttanasana, I could bend near enough to the ground to notice my shabby toe polish. 
Seven shades into final Shivasana, I remembered why I love yoga. 
Namaste.
talya
This was written for the Write Tribe Festival of Words. Prompt: the number Seven.

Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: creative writing prompt, humor, yoga

Wanna receive my monthly Newsletter? Sign up here!

Comments

  1. Pheno Menon says

    September 4, 2013 at 6:17 am

    I am returning to yoga myself after a month long travel madness

    PhenoMenon
    http://throodalookingglass.com/2013/09/bison-2/

    Reply
  2. Talya Tate Boerner says

    September 4, 2013 at 6:45 am

    Good for you! It felt great, after the cramp and all.

    Reply
  3. Mina Menon says

    September 4, 2013 at 6:46 am

    I lov the way yoga or any exercise for tht matter make sthe dayy so much more active 🙂

    Reply
  4. Suresh Chandrasekaran says

    September 4, 2013 at 7:23 am

    Oh! Heck! I have been yada-yadaing all my life and am yet to start learning yoga 🙁

    Reply
  5. Lana88 says

    September 4, 2013 at 7:50 am

    My hubby and I have only recently started doing yoga together. I couldn’t believe how relaxing it was!! I often use some of the yoga techniques we learned to relax when I am about to go to bed or just need to wind down. Love it!

    Reply
  6. Roshni AaMom says

    September 4, 2013 at 8:30 am

    Yoga is very demanding….people have this mistaken belief that it is not much work; but it is! It’s a wonderful workout!

    Roshni
    http://www.indianamericanmom.com

    Reply
  7. Gayle Glass says

    September 4, 2013 at 9:06 am

    Ahh…now you made me wonder…Where is that yoga DVD?

    Reply
  8. anuymous dev says

    September 4, 2013 at 11:17 am

    Being a fitness freak,I love reading & practicing Yoga time to time.Thank you for sharing..:)

    http://sailorswiferamblings.blogspot.com/2013/09/seven-sacred-chants.html

    Reply
  9. Writercat59 says

    September 4, 2013 at 12:15 pm

    Phew, I was exhausted just reading about your workout. Never realized yoga was that intensive but then I’ve never tried it. Great use of the number seven and I chuckled over your post.

    Reply
  10. Ranveer vishal says

    September 4, 2013 at 1:33 pm

    Hey, been almost one year since I started and I feel more relaxed and fit. It’s another thing thy I am still struggling with movements..lol

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      September 4, 2013 at 3:07 pm

      It really is a great way to get fit. I’m already sore (a good sore) from the workout described in this post.

      Reply
  11. Ranveer vishal says

    September 4, 2013 at 1:33 pm

    It’s me on http://www.vishalbheeroo.wordpress.com

    Reply
  12. Mama Zen says

    September 4, 2013 at 2:40 pm

    I really need to get back to yoga!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      September 4, 2013 at 3:07 pm

      Well yeah. Especially with that name Mama Zen!

      Reply
  13. Tim Hardin says

    September 4, 2013 at 2:49 pm

    uhhh…wasn’t Yoga a bear’s name? After reading your hilarious story, I think Yoga really could be a bear, or at least, it would be for me to try to do…just sayin’.=) And please, no visuals of me fighting the Yoga “bear” unless you can visualize me at the ER, later.=) But seriously though, when it comes to me trying Yoga, I just don’t think my ‘stretchy pants’ can stretch that far.=)

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      September 4, 2013 at 3:06 pm

      Oh sure they would. Lycra is very stretchy.

      Reply
  14. Winnie says

    September 4, 2013 at 3:26 pm

    I really need to get back to Yoga…. Loved your story!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      September 5, 2013 at 3:42 am

      Thanks Winnie! Have you tried Lotus Yoga in Lakewood? It’s my favorite. We should go together sometime!

      Reply
  15. dianasmusings says

    September 5, 2013 at 12:42 am

    After reading your story, I am interested to practice Yoga too 🙂 Lovely post Talya.

    Reply
  16. Suzy says

    September 5, 2013 at 1:34 am

    Love yoga and yes Shavasana – the best of all – sheer bliss.

    Reply
  17. Aditi says

    September 8, 2013 at 12:32 am

    Love the way you’ve written this….There are days when I wake up on time and do my Yoga routine, I am pumped up through the day. Both my body and mind feel light. Then there are days when I just get a little lazy :(, trying to change that!

    Reply
  18. Me says

    September 9, 2013 at 3:18 am

    I am in love with yoga ever since I took part in a workshop last year. But I find so many excuses not to do it nowadays.

    Reply
  19. Me says

    September 9, 2013 at 3:18 am

    I am in love with yoga ever since I took part in a workshop last year. But I find so many excuses not to do it nowadays.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Write Tribe Festival of Words - Day 5 - Write Tribe says:
    August 14, 2015 at 12:44 am

    […] Grace, Grits and Gardening […]

    Reply

COMMENT: Cancel reply

Talya Tate Boerner


Hi! I'm Talya. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

Click to BUY NOW!

Talya Tate Boerner books
Gene, Everywhere

Never miss a blog post! Subscribe via email:

Receive my Monthly Newsletter?

Most Popular Posts…

  • Sunday Letter: 01.29.23
  • Nana's Strawberry Cake (the real one)
  • Yum Yum Cake - old southern recipe!
  • SHOP!
  • Farm Art Friday: Cotton Trailers

Most Recent

  • Sunday Letter: 01.29.23
  • Sunday Letter: 01.15.23
  • Sunday Letter: 01.08.23
  • Sunday Letter: 12.18.22
  • Sunday Letter: 12.11.22

Grace Grits index

Prior Posts

Search Categories

Tags

A to Z April Blog Challenge Autumn BAT Book Reviews childhood Christmas creative writing prompt Dallas Desserts Eureka Springs Fall Fayetteville Food Gracie Lee Halloween Hemingway-Pfeiffer home humor Johnson Family Keiser Lake Norfork Lucy and Annabelle Mississippi County Mississippi Delta moving Munger Place Nana nature Northeast Arkansas Northwest Arkansas Osceola poem Reading Schnauzer simple living simple things spring spring gardening Summer sunday letter Talya Tate Boerner novel The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee Thomas Tate Winter Wordless Wednesday
Follow on Bloglovin

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!

All content and photos Copyright Grace, Grits and Gardening © 2023 · Web Hosting By StrataByte