Reincarnation

A popular belief among yogi's is the reincarnation of the spirit. The laws of karma are observed and respected, and death isn't feared. And it is said that a person never really tries yoga for the first time. Rather, they practiced it in a former life. That's why so many yogis, I suspect, experienced a "wait, I have met you before" moment on the mat, early in their practice. I sure did.

My first yoga DVD was Rodney Yee's "Power Yoga". It appeared to be an athletic workout, so I gave it shot. I also bought a really cool mat. One side was Carolina Blue and the other side of the mat the color of the Duke Blue Devils. A true sports fan might chose a side and stick with it, but I figured it was some sort of Ying Yang thing that influenced the design. Brilliant really. And it had the silly little ridges all over it. Surely they were designed for something important. They spoke to me.

Anyway, I got home, ate a steak diner and put the kids to sleep so I could really enjoy the DVD in peace. Long story short, I stared sweating 10 minutes into it and I didn't really think I had done anything other than move around on the floor like I was playing with my kids. 30 minutes into it and I was drentched. The heat was amazing. I got it right then and there. It made sense. A moment of clarity if you will. This is familiar to me. It fit me like a trusty pair of blue jeans. It seemed like I had done this yoga before.

I suspect most yogis know exactly what I am talking about. When you get it, you get it; the vinyasa, the sequence of the asanas, the breathing (pranayama), the sensations, the concentration... it makes sense. I understood the goal of it, and it wasn't just a nice ass. Yoga seemed to have found me. I have this feeling like I was always going to practice yoga, sooner or later.

In hindsight, it makes perfect sense that I am now devoted to my practice. The evidence is there. I mimicked lotus pose as a child after I saw it on TV. My mom made a big deal out if it when I sat that way. The satisfaction I got from saying "look what I can do Mom" and twisting my legs up foreshadowed the "look what I can do Craig" moments, when I reach a new landmark in a posture and I am utterly elated. And I always liked meeting people who did yoga. They were like healthy hippies. They were aloof and distracted at the same time which may not actually be possible, technically speaking. They took something serious, but it wasn't themselves. Good times, those yoga folks.

Reincarnation is beyond my current understanding of things, but I am keeping an open mind. We'll see what happens in my studies. Maybe I did practice in a former life. I always did like saying the word "yoga".