“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle
I love hanging out with the older folks in nursing homes. I know, I’m weird, always have been. Nursing homes are like libraries. Full of unique stories, inspiring tales, and most importantly, wisdom and information on how to live a better life. I mean, who better to go to for guidance about life than someone who has experienced it? Plus, there is a bonus, if you ever want to have 30-50 instant grandparents and feel like a loved and adored grandchild, hang out in one of these places. You will be the center of attention because everyone will want to tell you their secrets to longevity, they will give you cookies and candies to keep you quiet, and then tell you how pretty you are. It’s a glorious way to spend an evening.
Years ago when I lived in Kansas City, I would spend most Thursday nights visiting the residents at a nursing home down the street from my house. We would play scrabble and cards while they would share stories about their lives. One woman in particular always stood out to me though. I never knew her name. She never played with us but I would see her walking around the halls from time to time. She was a tiny little thing, short, slim, and trim. But the thing that stood out the most about her was that she didn’t move like everyone else. It was as if she was gliding around that place on skates. She was able to get up out of a chair without the use of her arms holding on to something to steady herself. If you’ve ever visited one of these facilities, you’ll know that is a rarity.
I stopped her one day to ask her her secret for staying in shape. She told me that when she was younger, she was a ballerina and her teachers had always impressed upon her the importance of stretching – even just a little bit. She said she was 92 and had stretched at least 10-15 minutes every day of her life. She said once you get to a certain point, it just takes a little bit to maintain it. The old, use it or lose it, cliché. I’ve never forgotten her advice.
Now, in all honesty, have I stretched for 10-15 minutes every day since she shared her tip? No. But I have an intention set for this year to incorporate that into my morning routine. Which leads me back to this yoga retreat. As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been practicing yoga off and on for 20+ years, so I’m a beginner. I usually go to a gym or yoga studio for my workout but I have a deep desire to have a sequence of my own to do every morning, which is why I came here to study Mysore Style Yoga.
Yesterday, Prem, one of our teachers explained why they call it the Ashtanga Yoga Bali Research Center because we, ourselves, are the subject being studied. We should be curious about who we are and how we feel in our bodies, and to do that, we need to get on the mat every morning. I loved the idea of being our own lab rats. As a culture, myself included, we tend to look outward at what everyone else is doing but that’s not where the jackpot to happiness and contentment is…it’s an inside job.
This particular type of yoga is an individual practice, so everyone is doing their own thing. We are not following a teacher and a flow of movements together. Which means, there is a wide range of levels, skills, and flexibilities among us. I’m obviously brand new and just learning the poses. MK from South Korea is the most advanced and should probably be a Cirque du Soleil performer. This guy can do the splits perfectly and can put his legs behind his head. I squirm in pain just watching him sometimes. Not to mention while he is in a handstand he moves his body forwards and backward all the way to the ground – so a perfect backbend and then with his core he pulls his legs up and over into a plank. WOW! He is really incredible to watch. There is another gentleman from the United States in the class and I thought he was probably in his late 50s, or early 60s judging by his skin and how much he can do, nope, he’s 85. I was blown away when someone mentioned his age. He is way more flexible than me and is fairly advanced. Never judge a book by its cover. There is a kind and gentle man in the class who rides in the van with us. He is 72, from China, and doesn’t speak a lick of any other language than Mandarin. Not only is he in great shape but he is incredibly brave to travel to another country without knowing any English (the universal language) and to take classes from teachers who can only communicate with him through movement. He has been practicing for four years which is another reminder that it’s never too late to start a healthy habit. I swear the world is full of courageous, unique, and beautiful people if you take a moment to look around.
My first week here in Bali has been both physically and emotionally exhausting, to say the least. I’ve already had two massages to work out the muscle soreness. Lots of ups and downs, highs and lows because I’m growing and sometimes, most of the time, growth is uncomfortable and painful. My body aches from moving in a way that I’m not used to, but I can visually see it getting stronger and more toned in just four days of class. Plus it’s like a natural detox. My skin is glowing!
My emotions have been all over the place probably because the movement is working out some old wounds stored in my muscles. But honestly, as much as I love traveling, sometimes it’s lonely and you can feel a little untethered from the rest of the world. So, finding inner strength during these times is important and something I hope will grow within me during this new practice.
Thankfully, I’ve met some really wonderful people so far at the Yoga Center. Including my new friend Shubi from India. The center partners with a local driver named Eddie (he also doubles as the coconut man who prepares the coconuts to drink after class – everyone needs an Eddie in their life) who picks up some of the students and drives us 20 minutes into the jungle to the center. On my first day, when Shubi got into the van, I instantly knew she was one of my people. We clicked immediately and have spent some time hanging out together outside of class. Sadly for me, her visit to Bali was for a month but this is her last week.
Yesterday, we went to the Monkey Forest and to dinner. Five hours flew by! She is teaching me a little bit about India. She is about my age, a wife and mother, and is full of wisdom…and some fun pop culture info. Did you know that KFC in India is vegetarian? She said the word “vegetarian” is even included in the logo. Ha! I asked her what the heck was on the menu since the main food is chicken. She said she didn’t know because she’s never eaten at one but I did find an old article about it. Everything is adaptable.
Signing off for now…don’t forget to stretch!
Goodnight and much love from Bali! 🇮🇩
Eddie our driver and coconut man…oh, and Spiritual Gangster. ✌️
Shubi, me, and Heather from the States.
