Back in the early part of the summer, I started teaching a regularly scheduled yoga class each week.
Well, at first, it was just as a sub for someone taking the Summer off. I covered their 7am 60-minute hot class. It was a class I occasionally took myself. By the arrival of the end of Summer, I was asked to permanently take on the Saturday 7am class – surrendering the Sunday class back to the original teacher.
Sure, I thought. I should teach regularly again. For a little while at least.
I hadn’t taught regularly in exactly 11 years.
I’ve filled in very, very rarely. Mostly I’ve preferred to be a student, judging a studio and its instructors while sweating things out in my own practice.
It was time though. To get back to sharing my approach. I’ve let my life spin into some adventures over the past decade. Always worried I should be reigning myself in… And trying – with silly things like living in California.
I was so bored in San Diego.
Mind you, I’m an introvert. I love either staying home or going out into the world alone and mostly observing.
But there wasn’t anything to observe in San Diego. It is a lovely place. But outside of the North County where I lived (where people seemed to be relaxed in who they are), I found it faux.
I would smirk as fellow executives on my leadership team would mention some cool place…
“It’s inside Liberty Station.”
I’d stare at them and bring a quiet smile to my face.
“Yeah… I have no idea where that is.”
“You’ve never been to Liberty Station?” they would ask.
“I don’t really leave Encinitas if I don’t have to,” I’d say. “My personal world ends at Exit 39.”
The Manchester Exit on Interstate 5.
They saw me as the most boring person. I saw them as basic.
And they are.
And I am boring.
But they were draining. San Diego was draining. I barely made it to yoga class most weeks. It was a struggle.
The thought of teaching regularly was not something for which I had energy.
But here in the desert, I have energy.
And more imagination.
To get up at 5am on Saturdays (and most days of the week, actually) to head to the studio at 6am…
And turn on the humidifier… Then switch on the lights and fans in each of the locker rooms. After which I head into the yoga room, light incense and switch on the back heater and the fans. I scan the mirrors to see if there are any streaks of dried sweat that I need to clean. Then I turn the sound system on and pick a playlist that will carry us through the 60 minute class…
Martin Denny Radio. Beatles Radio. Thievery Corporation Radio. 70s Roadtrip.
Something like this.
I unlock the door. And then students start arriving just after 6:30am.
This is definitely not a boring Saturday.
Or a boring life.
I worry – quietly in the side of my brain – that I am enjoying my boring isolated life too much.
“Don’t be dumb,” I say to myself. “Mentally, this is where a lot of people wish they were.”
I don’t know if I believe that. But I enjoy hearing it inside my head.
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