The First Step

Whether we believe the destination to be near or far, every journey begins with one step. I enthusiastically took mine tonight as I attended the orientation for yoga school. Though the session was mostly filled with the nuts and bolts of the program and reminders of all the hard work that is ahead, I left the studio feeling giddy. I felt like I did on Christmas morning as a child when I discovered a box under the tree that looked just the right size to be the toy I wanted more than anything in the world...and the gift had my name on it! I can't remember the last time I've had that feeling. I am still grinning from ear to ear even though class ended two hours ago.

I feel such a high because tonight I was surrounded by people who have the same passion for yoga that I do. I instantly felt a connection to these strangers, the women and men who I will closely share my life with for the next five months. We took turns introducing ourselves and briefly describing why we had enrolled in the program in addition to our goals and fears. There were nineteen other students in the room, and I was blown away by each of them. I listened as my new classmates poetically described all the things I think about yoga but have trouble putting into words. It was beautiful. 

Everyone there had come to yoga in a different way or for different reasons, yet each was so profoundly impacted by her experience that she needed to dive deeper. My classmates courageously shared stories of overcoming obstacles of every shape and size through their relationship with yoga, and if I didn't already think that I was on to something, I would have been a believer after just five minutes with this group. It was amazing how many common threads ran through our discussion about how yoga had benefitted us mentally, physically, and spiritually. I laughed, I cried (a few times!), and I got a hug from the woman sitting next to me after I shared my own story. I am so grateful for this accepting and caring community of learners who supported my first step tonight.