Tragedy, Inspiration, and Shooting Stars

 Over the past two days, I have read and heard two different stories about friendships, loss, and regret. The first was a beautifully written post by The Grateful Yogini about losing touch with a friend who was terminally ill and her regrets. It can be a difficult read, but I firmly believe everyone should give it a look.

The second story occurred locally, a scant few days ago. Here in DFW, the #1 radio station is the all-sports station, KTCK 1310 "The Ticket". Most of the time, the shows are devoted to sports, movies, girls, "guy-talk" and the like. Every so often, however one of the hosts pulls back the curtain on their personal life.  "The Gentle Musers", is a show that has been on the air for as long as the station has operated (18 years now). All three of the hosts are close to me in age, so I can relate to them and have sort of "grown up" with them if you will. Anyway, this morning George spoke about a tragedy that had befallen a family in the small town where he resides, and his and the town's reaction to it. It is a must listen .

Both stories contain the same message, which cannot be repeated enough:

Life is short.

You never know when it will be taken away.

Call. Write. E-mail. Text.

Send a card.

Send flowers or go to lunch -- just because.

Hug. Squeeze. Kiss.

Above all:

Be grateful for the little things...

the unmade bed

the dirty dishes

holding hands during a storm

snowball fights

and on and on and on....

Our time here is precious.

Once lost, it is never given back.

I must learn to not waste so much time...

  

A Dream Delayed

Well, I got to see the newly renovated studio a few days ago. All I can say is, "Wow!!". It looks really cool. Now there is a full window looking in on the chamber, and increased retail space. The showers/changing room are very cool, and a water dispenser has been installed to cut down on plastic bottles. The lobby/retail area has been redone in a classic Western motif -- befitting the town "Where the West Begins".

Yes, the new Bikram Fort Worth is ready to go with a full slate of classes tomorrow.

Sweetie and I, however, will not be there.

I got to talk to the new owner, who completed training last spring and was one of our instructors under the former owners. She is a great person, with a solid vision for the studio. Anyone who reads this blog knows that Sweetie and I were on the work-study program under the old regime. For now, there will be no work-study at the new studio.

Let me say this: I am not angry. I am not upset. (In fact, I was kind of expecting this.)  I understand the situation fully and hold no malice to anyone affiliated with the new studio. I texted the owner earlier today to wish her luck, and tell her that we would be back ASAP.

So, what to do in the meantime?

1) Practice at home: Sweetie and I were discussing converting our spare room into a practice area. A couple of space heaters and a CD player are needed, as well as a mirror on one wall. We could (theoretically) practice anytime. Drawbacks: 1) I think it would be too easy to say, "I'm too tired... need to do laundry/fix dinner/clean house/ etc." and we wouldn't practice at all. 2) Never used the CD before. Will we tire of the same voice/words/cadence time after time? 3) No live instructor to call out corrections -- perhaps preventing an injury or a bad posture.

2) Try a different form of yoga: There is something called Karmany Yoga about 8 minutes away. Meanwhile, about five minutes in the opposite direction, there is a new studio going in: Sumits Hot Yoga. It hasn't opened yet, so I've had no chance to check it out. Bikram is the only yoga I've ever tried. Perhaps I need to try a few different types?

3) Just put the mat away: There are other forms of exercise. Lots of things I could do. I don't think I could just give up yoga (in some form) forever. I enjoy Bikram (well, I enjoy the benefits) and I want to resume as soon as possible. I NEED that time to myself to decompress -- I have missed that aspect more than any other: the chance to push everything aside and just worry about my breath and my postures for 90 minutes.

So, the dream of resuming Bikram is only delayed, not denied.

If you have any suggestions on anything I covered, please feel free to leave a comment (especially when it comes to home practice). I would very much appreciate it!!

Namaste.