“Yoga is the practice of learning to tolerate the consequences of who you are.” Bhagavad Gita,
as quoted on a sign that hangs in a Kripalu stairwell

It’s 10:26pm as I write this. It’s my last night at Kripalu. Today I had a series of profound experiences that I’m not quite ready to write about. Suffice to say, I kind of can’t believe the amount that my body, mind and spirit went through in a mere 24 hours. A single day.

Put simply, this was a day of learning to come back into my body, and beginning to make peace with my busy, busy mind.  Turns out I’ve been storing a WHOLE lot in this body o’mine, and it finally decided to make itself known. Jillian, our teacher, explained that restorative yoga often triggers a release that can feel uncomfortable, even painful, until it’s fully purged from your system…something that only comes from breathing your way through repeated practice.

I can’t believe I’ve only been here for four days; it feels like I’ve traveled a greater distance than that short amount of time represents. I’ve learned so much about myself, and about the medicinal power of true relaxation – not blissing out, not escaping, not falling asleep, but waking up to what it feels like to be still with yourself when your mind, body and breath are relaxed.

Can you imagine?

I don’t know exactly how I’ll apply what I’ve learned, but I know that I’ll apply it, every day, for the rest of my life.

Now: reading (Long Quiet Highway: Waking Up in America by Natalie Goldberg), and then sleep. In the morning, a nature walk (I want to find the Ganesh statue I featured here), my last Kripalu breakfast, and a final few hours of training before heading to the airport.

I’ll miss this place.

Tags: kripalu, Restorative Yoga