Monday, January 17, 2011

Yoga and Cycling


I took Yoga classes in India, and progressed really well. After two weeks I was able to walk down this uneven staircase on my hands.

JUST KIDDING! While I did take my first ever Yoga class yesterday (here in Columbia City, Seattle), this photo is from an early morning walk that the SingingCyclist and I took. We were taking a three hour long guided tour of the trees of Lal Bagh Botanical Garden in Bangalore.

It was a wonderful tour. As we were beginning the tour with about 20 other folks, the guide began describing the history of the Garden with his back to this giant rock. A number of folks were hanging out meditating, exercising, practicing various breathing techniques, etc. Then this guy, pictured above, began to do all kinds of extreme poses...and then proceeded to walk down this staircase on his hands while our guide waxed on about the marvels of Lal Bagh.

I was just mesmerized by this guy. Afterward, he held himself in a pike position on an old water pipe. Wild.

Below is a tree tour from Lal Bagh.







Fire Ants on bark.



As for me and my first Yoga class, I loved it. DartreDame turned me onto it, and it was just the right thing to get me going after the sinus crud. I plan to do more. As my Physical Therapist (aka The Healer) told me: You might not be able to cycle when you're 80--then again you might! (as she spied my countenance)--but you certainly will be able to do Yoga when you're 80.

Good advice.

For a perspective shock, that giant rock that the hand walker was coming down is 8 Billion years old. Half as old as the Earth itself. So said our guide. Therefore, it was formed as the crust and such was still cooling. Our guide struggled with describing just how old that is and he used 8000 million years to describe it. However, you describe it, it remains unfathomable. The Garden is magnificent.

My breathing is as old as that rock. I am exploring Yoga and Cycling and Breathing. Here's a look back at Heart Forward Cycling.


Keep it magnificent,

CurioRando