I walked out of the office last night and looked at sky, dotted by a few fluffy clouds, glanced at my watch, and realized that if I hurried, I might be able to make it to yoga...outside!
I grabbed my mat and enjoyed the short traverse through the streets of Dupont and trails of Georgetown from my place to the waterfront...apparently the trip was a little bit less-short than I remembered, as I arrived a few minutes late. Fortunately, I was able to quietly lay my mat in the grass and join the practice - a luxury not available in the highly popular classes inside Down Dog Yoga's studio, which are frequently filled before sessions begin.
As the late-comer, I had found a place near the back of the group - but after a few minutes, moved forward in order to avoid the hum of the traffic rolling off the Key Bridge onto K Street behind me.
Yes, this was better...
Up dog, down dog...inhale, exhale.
An outdoor yoga class offers distractions that are more easily avoided within the walls of a studio - a family out for an evening stroll along the waterfront, uneven terrain in the grass below my feet, the sound of traffic in the distance - and I found it requires greater effort for focus, or perhaps a greater commitment to that focus, than an indoor class might, to allow the rhythm of breathing and flow of movement to take over.
After moving my mat towards the front of the group, I initially found my focus shifted externally - as I fell from tree pose I wondered if the people behind me knew that it was because the ground was uneven below me, as we went into down dog I wondered if my butt looked huge to everyone else given my brief hiatus from back squats recently, did I know that person walking by and did they recognize me?
I would be hard-pressed to say that I lack self-confidence, but I am human and as such, insecurities creep into my world from time to time...
I reminded myself that the person behind me probably didn't notice and didn't care what my tree pose looked like or about the size of my butt. And then I remembered something even more significant, who cares if they did? They might notice, they might care...but that was all beyond my control and far from my motivation in seeking practice. I came for me - to stretch and work and twist my body, to clear my mind, to focus. Sometimes it comes easily. Sometimes it does not. The benefit is found in the experience, but not my performance.
Inhale. Exhale. There was a river in front me, the kind of cool breeze that can be hard to find during DC summers flowing over my back, and warm sunshine above. All around me, people were enjoying themselves - families laughing together, a young girl walking a dog, a few dozen people engaged in an outdoor yoga practice. This was yoga happening in the real world. And with this positivity replacing the insecurity I had briefly allowed to creep into my mind, I found greater focus and the ability to be more present.
Huge thanks to the collaboration between Down Dog Yoga and the Georgetown Business Association for providing a space for me to doubt myself and then remember that I shouldn't...
There's one more Wednesday in June, so if you find yourself needing something to occupy your evening, make your way over to Georgetown. Rumor has it that this *may* be continued beyond the already scheduled Wednesdays in June - I'm hopeful!
In addition to the obvious (yoga mat and water), I'd also bring a towel (the grass can be a bit damp), sunglasses, and sunscreen!
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