Beginning
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It was the end of October, the days were getting shorter, darkness falling earlier and earlier.
This is usually the start of a sort of hibernation for me, driving home from work in the crisp and cold with the 6 p.m. stars already shining.
Not really the time of year to embark on any sort of change.
During this time, I am not sure what made me finally take action on what had been sitting on the floor of my car, among so many other things: A flyer for the new yoga studio less than a mile from my home.
I looked at the schedule, chose a class, called a friend and showed up.
This was a very big deal for me, never having been a big exerciser and never having joined a gym.
I arrived at the studio equipped with the following inexperience: A few yoga classes with my daughter once upon a time, dance classes at summer camp many moons earlier and, in another lifetime, dancing on my middle and high school Pom Pon squads.
I felt at ease right away.
The music started, and we all stood at the top of our mats.
The music - my music! - of Paul Simon, Bob Marley, Elton John and more, filled the room as the instructor took us through flows of poses and took the time to walk around the room and adjust our positions.
The studio was warm, both the atmosphere and the temperature, the rubber mat seemed to anchor me to the wood floor, and the mirror at the front of the room reflected the class moving at all levels but somehow together.
Something in me connected to the music and the long ago dance lessons, and the flow and instruction had a hypnotizing effect.
Eager to come back, the only time outside the weekend that allowed for my full time work schedule was at 6 a.m.
I peeled myself out of bed the following Monday morning, still not believing what I was doing, had a little coffee and drove to the studio.
Crisp and cold with the 6 a.m. stars now shining, I showed up for class and became a regular.
Now, yoga has become a huge part of my life.
Just like every day is a bit different, so is every practice.
I have discovered that yoga has the power to change my mood, my outlook, my body, my life.
Its impact has been nothing short of marvelous, offering up surprising discoveries and interesting insights at a point in my life where I thought I had it all figured out.
Turns out, the learning had only just begun.