After a weekend of social activity and yoga, Monday’s theme was ‘Back to Work’, and entailed teaching several yoga classes, parental time with my son, and a short but meaningful self practice of thirty minutes. Since returning to work from the transplant, I have started to become far more realistic about how much energy I have, and just what spending it means. More and more I feel the time I have is precious, and I can’t force myself to participate in activities when I’m not feeling able to participate meaningfully.
Hence yesterday’s restorative class with Anna Blackmore at The Life Centre, Notting Hill. There were four students for the 4:30pm class in the centre’s ‘loft’, the cosy pure floor studio, where we were skillfully and quietly taken through eight to ten restorative yoga postures, including legs up the wall, supported headstand and downward dog with a creatively made makeshift rope support. Anna’s calm and quiet demeanour meant that she almost disappeared from the room along with everyone else, which was a wonderful feeling as we all deepened into our own bodies and explored each pose.
At the end of class she gave us the mantra ‘So Hum’, meaning ‘I am That;’ I am not this body or this mind, but something far greater.
I asked her specifically about someone I know recently diagnosed with cancer, and Anna told me about the Yoga Therapy clinic at The Life Centre in Islington, where students are supported by advisors including herself, which is helpful to know. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and on those Tuesdays after my transplant clinic when I’m feeling low, I now know where to go to get nourished and restored. Moreover, as I meet more and more people who are either ill or in recovery of some sort (funny how life works), I now know where to send them. Here’s to hoping our home internet is finally fixed soon. I woke up this morning feeling restored!
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