Creative Writing: Yoga Class

My husband suggested last night that I start adding some creative writing to this blog to give people a sense of my true passion, which is not writing information blog updates. I thought it was a good idea, so I am starting with some exercises I did for an online writing class. The purpose of the class was to learn how to write descriptively. I haven't made any changes to what I handed in to the teacher of the class, so these pieces are unedited me.

Yoga Class

Like laying a rainbow onto the wooden floorboards, I unroll my bright yoga mat. Against my turquoise water bottle, a violet golf towel my husband was given in Cabo San Lucas leans. Water in, sweat out.

Mirrors and other students, the things by which I judge my performance, surround me. Two women whisper about The Bachelor, open palms rested on crooked legs. Others lay flat, and still others stretch and move and awake. I observe, elbows on bent knees and palms on cheeks. Music imported from Asia quiets us, signaling the beginning of class.

I am armed with a spring green and winter white block, a thick blue strap, and a vocabulary acquired through years of classes. Down dog, up dog, crow, happy baby, warrior three. These words have all come to define different shapes and postures of my body - asanas. I perform them without much thought now, as one responds to a traffic signal without consideration.

I am only missing one tool: flexibility. I will never grace dancer’s pose or ease into a headstand. A tall, curveless basketball-player frame and lean, long-distance-runner legs are my God-given athletic gifts. Advanced yogi I will never be. Namaste.