Tonight, my friend Angelina and I went to Kimberly’s class at Inner Bliss. The studio was buzzing with conversations–a good sign of the friendly atmosphere and shared passions. Kimberly had us begin on our stomachs and asked us to quiet the chatter in our minds. I really enjoy taking some time to meditate before beginning movement. It’s a nice way to transition from the outside world to the inside.

As we flowed, I started to notice the difference in my body. After doing many of the same poses for two weeks, they started to feel easier, stronger, lighter, and brighter. Then, we came into Goddess pose. Ouch! Hips, screaming. Knees, begging. Heart, struggling to see the light. I wanted to back out but I stayed in it, and as we stretched up, folded down and came back into Goddess again, it didn’t feel as bad. And by the third time, it started to feel good. It’s all about the journey…

When Kimberly suggested we move into Frog pose, Angelina and I laughed. I was just telling her how I practiced Frog earlier and it took every ounce of energy to pull myself out of that pose. I am learning to love this pose that takes all my breath and all my inner strength because once I come out of it, my hips feel like they could do the hula!

As tight as my hips may be, I realized tonight that they didn’t get like that overnight, so I can’t expect it to go away after one, two or even 15 yoga classes. But at least I have started the process to slowly melt the stickyness away, one breath at a time.