My favorite bars are chocolate

Namaste

What do yoga and chocolate have to do with one another? Other than me wearing this tee both create endorphins and endorphins make you happy! To say that my favorite bars are chocolate is true. I am a super fan of dark chocolate the darker better and enjoy up to 85% of the rich delight. It makes me happy. In my youth, my favorite bars were the ones that had a huge dance floor as I was/am a fan of the dance and would wiggle as soon as I heard music. I really didn't care how good the drinks were, I was there to dance. I used to love to go out after working in the cosmetic department with the other gals. This was back in the eighties, dressed all in black with our hair slicked back into a ponytail we looked like the Robert Palmer girls in the video Addicted to Love. We were known as those girls and had been known to jump up on the bar and dance. Ahhh, those were the days! I still love to dance, but now it's more in my mind or kitchen as I wiggle around my husband trying to get him to dance with me. He is not a fan, lol! I'll have to share the story sometime of how he suckered me into dating him pretending he was a fan of the dance.

What do dancing and yoga have to do with one another? Um, nothing really unless you dance in your mind while doing yoga as I do sometimes, and the fact that it is a form of exercise. It's the one new thing I started to do for myself in 2020 for mental and physical health and stuck to it. It helped that Toes Yoga is right next door to my work and offers a class conveniently timed for me to go to before I start my day.

Confession, I hate to exercise. For reals, I loathe it. I am not coordinated and sports/active-minded. Throughout my years I have tried to find an activity that would both capture my mind and provide a semblance of fitness. I enjoyed my time at Dojo Chattanooga where I was the "special" student and attempted to make my way in the skillset of Wing Chun. My Sifu was endlessly patient and I failed him in my lack of obedience to the art. I tried Kickboxing and my lack of coordination left me in a self-inflicted moment such as Olive Oyl below, sans the gag and with the rope of the punching bag wrapped around my neck. True story, if we had it on video we would have been viral in ten minutes I am sure!

I do toy with the idea of practicing Wing Chun once more as I really did enjoy it and perhaps now as I grow up I may be able to focus better. Prior to yoga, I was a loyal attendee of Pilates at the Y which I began to heal and strengthen my body recovering from my attempt to "get in shape" before 50. I failed miserably as I was working with a trainer better suited for a more athletic build than mine and I suffered a tear in the labrum socket of my right shoulder as well as other injuries that set me back in my quest for fitness substantially. Fast forward to almost 57 my goal is one day to be able to strengthen my shoulders and be able to do a side crow pose with straight legs.

With the pandemic life was different and I knew I had to go with it, ZigZag. The fact that Toes Yoga is right next door to my work is a divine intervention moment. I had been telling myself, (yes I have complete conversations with myself, sometimes in my mind, and other times out loud in where I catch myself and laugh) that once I settled into our new location I needed to find/do something different and be totally committed to it in order to calm my mind and strengthen my body. I was feeling extremely angsty and idgety (which is a word that I made up which means irritated and fidgety). This life transition was getting the better of me.

So I bought a cute mat and committed to a membership right of the bat. I signed up for Power Yoga classes. I felt that if I joined I would feel obligated to go even though I hate to exercise. I made it through the first class. It was hard. Firstly it was July and I had not exercised since the mandatory closures in March. Second, it was hard it was not a take a nap class yoga (while those are delightful it was not that). I left humbled but inspired. I was determined to stick with it and have. Now almost every morning I attend yoga class taught by the amazing Missy. I have affectionately nicknamed her Yoga Beast and that is how she is entered on my phone. Beast (beast, beastie) in Darin vocabulary, which by the way Beastie is a term I called my daughters way before the movie Maleficent. Beastie or Beast has always been a term of endearment in darinese (like legalese) I have other words for the negative definition of a beast.

Come to think of it I don't think I have ever used the word beast in a negative sense at all. I would use the word monster. Even monster would have a duo meaning. I particularly am fond of those that are a little monsterish as those types are typically not boring, like my dog GInger she is the perfect definition of my meaning of monster. She is full of herself, she is independent, does not take no for an answer, listens to no one, and the list goes on. With all that said she is the most delightful of all monsters.

I digress so let's get back to my yoga beast, she is wonderful. She kicks my butt and holds me accountable (which is exactly what this ADD girl needs), after our quick-paced power yoga session she thanks all her students for sharing her practice and ends with "Namaste, May the light in me always honor the light in you". While I know this is common practice it warms my heart every day. I know that my Yoga Beast has the most beautiful heart, and I am thankful that she loyally and faithfully shares her knowledge with me with the most lovely of spirit. When I flit off to darin land she chides me in the sweetest way to return to the present. Perhaps this is why we connect so well, she understands me and knows that my mind is constantly active and off to the next thing. She helps me stay present and focus on my intention.

This ZigZag moment in life changed my life for the better. I have made some amazing new friends, I feel SO MUCH better, and when I miss I feel it mentally and physically. For the days I can not get to the studio I downloaded an app called Down Dog. Their tagline is “Yoga because punching people is frowned upon? Which is exactly how I feel and find that statement hilarious! I try to practice daily and when I don't um, you know it (my daughter says I'm cranky).

Being present is my focus in all things these days. Being aware of the fact that I have shiny object syndrome I have to constantly be mindful not to jump on to the next thing. Yoga helps me with this challenge as well as dissipates the pent-up energy inside my body. As a seven I enjoy trying all the methods of practice however, I find my favorites so far are those that move quickly so as my mind does not wander. When my "D's" flit me off into Darin land my instructor, Missy snaps me back to focus and says with a giggle, something like, "Where is Darin?."

For those that do identify with the six-point on the enneagram, I do love yoga. It gives me instant gratification in the sense that I feel amazing when done, I am fully aware of my challenges, and I am instantly rewarded when I can master a move or be more aligned within a pose. I have also learned not to be mean to myself if I am sloppy one day, I laugh, as it's just not my day and that is OK! If you have never tried yoga I would recommend doing a quick internet search of the different types of yoga and perhaps watch a few videos. Next, I would totally participate in different classes so you can get an idea of what you like and what your body needs. I have become so much stronger. My strength is overall and not just one muscle group. As I said, I was totally surprised that I love it. As a hater of all things exercise my yoga practice is something I can manage quite well. On days I feel bold I can try new poses or practice those I am working on. For those days where I feel a little wimpy, I can practice in maintenance mode. They say any exercise is good as long as you do it, so try this, it might be the option for you.