Four Months Later, I'm Back on the Mat

I finally unrolled my yoga mat yesterday after a four-month sabbatical. Decided that with the onset of Autumn, on the first day of October, it was a good occasion to start to get back to where I was before my summer vacation in June.

I locked my office door, rolled out my extra-long green yoga mat, put my Ipod in its player (I have several yoga lessons on the Ipod), donned my yoga duds, and got ready to down dog. I purposely chose what I consider the easiest of the lessons, one designed to be done when you first wake up in the morning. Let me say up front that the yoga felt great. It felt good physically, it felt good mentally, and it felt good spiritually. It was also a hell of a wake-up. What used to be the lesson I did when I didn't feel like expending too much energy kicked my ass.

I have a secret vanity that I'll now share. When my weight is down and I'm in shape, I have great legs. Great legs with big, impressive thighs. I really do. I've had non-gay guys comment on my legs. Last June, after two years of walking 3 to 5 miles a day and practicing yoga for a year, I had really great legs. There's a very fundamental yoga pose named "Downward Facing Dog" that gives you a good chance to check out your legs. Back before I was hospitalized, I always took great pride in Down Dog as I saw the bulk and definition of the muscles in my thighs and calves.

Yesterday, looking backward during my first Down Dog, I was shocked. Those were NOT my legs. My legs are sleek and powerful. Those legs looked like skinny old-man legs wrapped in loose-fitting burlap. Yikes. And I have a sneaking suspicion that those aren't the only muscles that need a little attention and tough love.

So: back on the road, back on the mat, time to start setting the house in order again. And having done it once I know I can do it again.