Painting without a net...or a latter.

In preparation for the Open House this weekend I’ve been “sprucing up” the studio; trying to breathe a little bit of my own style into the space. So today was dedicated to the studio, there where big plans, big plans I tell you but the paint had its own ideas. I always seem to forget just how many coats those rich pigmented colors take. So today was spent painting. But the more I connect my yoga practice to my life off the mat the happier I am doing these simple repetitive actions. First of all I’m short and secondly I for some reason decided I could paint the studio without the use of a latter; instead relying on a good chair and my keen sense of balance. And I could just reach the meeting of wall and ceiling if I was on the chair on my tip toes with full arm extension. So on I went ignoring that nagging sensation that I should have maybe, possibly bought painters tape. Nope I would balance and free hand it. So there I was edging in by hand leaning far to the left and working right when I noticed exactly how much was going on in my body. My mind was intensely focused on the brush and the ceiling but my body was actually dancing. I felt my arm locked into place as my wrist subtly adjusted the brush for maximum paint distribution. My legs held firm and shifting through my hips and outer gluts while my toes (my toes!!!) rose and fell in accordance to how high my arm needed to be. All of theses things where happening without my mind having to “tell” my body this, consciously at least.

How does this relate to yoga? Well, the symphonies of our body play on. They will make music without “us” our mind ever calling out a note. But what will that music be? Will it be in tune or will there be disharmony as the music marches onward. What blew me away in that moment of yogic realization was not that my body was playing this music with out me but that it was in tune! My alignment was correct, my shoulders where relaxed, my knees where soft, my weight was supported as it shifted over my midline. My body was, for a moment, an aria. Two things never would have happened in that moment if yoga had never entered my life; 1. I never would have been able to pull of such a balancing act without doing harm to myself and 2. I never would have even noticed. Yoga is not about achieving the pinnacle pose/asana, which thank goodness because as the walls will attest there are numerous mistakes, it’s about the effort. The effort is the practice. Painting those walls, giving a little of my sweat equity into that space…well that’s the point. I’m just lucky enough because of my practice to be aware enough to enjoy the work it takes and revel in the knowledge that I’m sending a whole lot of love and attention out there to the universe.