Yoga Off the Mat

My yoga off the mat KILLED today. I taught a great class at the Eau and then did a private with 3 twenty-something hot shots in from Boston for the weekend. I left feeling yoga stoned just from the fumes. When I walked out to my car and glanced down at my phone I saw a text from my husband saying, "Sit down and take a Valium, your Instagram acct is gone, hacked?" At this point, most people would expect me to start doing the Oprah ugly cry, right? Not even a skip in my step. Alan called me and told me my Instagram account was gone. I said, "Oh well. I'm not getting worked up about it. If it's gone, it's gone."

Now if you've known me for 5 minutes, you've likely picked up on the fact that I'm slightly social media obsessed... and slightly is a slight understimate. Silly as this may sound, I would have felt my world had been rocked had this happened even a year ago. But I was able to be completely neutral in that moment of what might once have seemed like an enormous loss. I have so many pictures and written words, and yet, I just knew if it was gone, I'd start over. NBD. Non-attachment.

When I got home, I gave Cupcake a big smooch and sat down at my computer. I had been trying to troubleshoot the Instagram situation on my cell. It was an exercise in frustration. I was determined to stay centered and I did. I was completely chill. I played around with several ideas; play being the operative word. It was as if I had a puzzle to solve. I didn't take it personally or wonder "Why me?" I had it resolved the issue in 5 minutes and was back in business.

I had every reason to believe the account was one. When I typed in "rosiecoloredglasses", it said "0 posts." But I gripped my toes to the floor to feel the earth beneath me. I noticed the inhales and the exhales and I knew I was practicing utkatasana off the mat. What a waste of good energy it would have been to become reactice and lose my mind over something I couldn't control. Yet how often do we go from 0-60 zooming out of control, only to find our greatest fears were in vain.

There are moments in yoga when I do a pose and it feels like a reward for effort and focus.Having this reaction today felt like doing a handstand on my own, only I wasn't on a mat. Yoga off the mat is why I do yoga on the mat. I like to think I practice yoga to get better at life. I love the breath and movement of asana, yes. But I also adore the freedom I feel in my soul when I can stand tall in balance and face life with steadiness and comfort. So grateful for a practice on the mat that guides me through postures that help me find balance off the mat.