My Amazing Yoga Experience
I have just had the most amazing yoga experience. In a London yoga shala today the teacher didn\’t show up so the students had to think for themselves. “Shall we self-practice together?” I asked, then wished I hadn\’t, as the person to my left began the noisiest Ujjayi breath I\’d ever encountered.
“Oh dear” I thought, anticipating the prospect of a peace-less hour. As we launched into our sun salutations, her breathing doubled in volume.
But as the din began to permeate my chakras and as my mouth and anus tightened, I took a deeeeeeep breath and made a conscious choice not to react with irritation, because I was so desperate to relax on this Monday morning and to protect myself from the tension that my fellow practitioner was unwittingly emanating.
As a result, I enjoyed a blissful, peaceful practice.
Afterwards, as I floated to my car, I marveled at the fact that by choosing not to walk out, I had avoided conflict and proved to myself that I wasn’t such an intolerant harpy after all.
By Rosie Miles, co-founder of Kaliyoga Retreats