Okay so here's the deal...

Tonight's the night. Yes yes yes. A night of celebration. What for?

Well quite simply, I am celebrating the impossible, or rather, the possible.

I started this yoga when I was 16 years old. I remember my first class very vividly. I walked into the yoga room wearing black basketball shorts and a white t-shirt... and white socks. Yes, white socks... We all see the beginners who do the crazy shit like that and we all laugh at them, but yes... let it be known. I wore socks into the yoga room for my first class, and was later encouraged to take them off before the beginning of the class.

It was a Monday night at 6PM and Deb Weitzel was teaching. I remember doing the breathing exercise and fighting laughter. It was the "h-a hah" sound that made me giggle. It was like having the "church giggles" you know? The laughter you can't stop. Of course it was really awkward because it was just me, laughing at a room full of 20 something people who were really into it.

I remember doing half-moon and looking at my red face in the mirror. I thought my head was going to explode. Though out of all the standing postures... I will say that head-to-knee was by far the worst posture. I was hopping around like an idiot and almost jumped onto my neighbor's mat. I hated... hated... that posture. I couldn't grab my foot to save my life, and every time I did grab my foot, I thought I was going to pass out because I was breathing so heavily.

I am writing this down because I want to tell you that I was not born with this practice. I have practiced everyday for the past 2 years to get my head to my knee. I have cried, cramped, thrown up, and almost passed out in that room. It took me the longest time, I would say about 2 months, to do a full class STANDING UP. I would have to sit out most second sets because I would be too exhausted. And I still do sit out postures (I'm sure teachers are grinning as they are reading this).

I want to tell you that anything is possible. Anything. Which on that note, I would like to share with you my goal:

I have vowed that by the end of this 60 day challenge, I will be able to do full-wheel pose. I am sure most of you have seen my friend Kyra do this posture, but in case you haven't, I have a picture of Kyra herself doing the pose below, absolutely beautifully.

I am telling you, my fellow yogi, that you can do anything. Anything. It is all about self-belief. If you want something bad enough, you can achieve it.

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The second part of this post is going to take on a different tone as it is directed to my teachers.

To be more specific, all of the people who have helped me in the past 8 months during my transition between studios:

Sarah Ittmann (Bikram Yoga Hampden)

Emily Vendemmia (Bikram Yoga Severna Park)

Kyle Kessenich (Bikram Yoga Hampden)

Deborah Weitzel (nutritionist and Bikram Yoga teacher)

Abby Aldrich (Bikram Yoga Hampden)

Lynne Brettschneider (Bikram Yoga Hampden)

Ann Marie Paul (Bikram Yoga Severna Park)

Zack Hines (Bikram yoga Severna Park)

Reggie Meneses (Bikram Yoga Reston)

Kat Kelley-Chung (Bikram Yoga Columbia)

Nikki Gordon (Bikram Yoga Columbia)

Jaime Maitland Benjes (Bikram Yoga Hampden)

Barbara Brutzman (Bikram Yoga Hampden)

Marsha White (Bikram Yoga Tenley Town/ Bikram Yoga Rockville/ Bikram Yoga Takoma Park)

Most specifically, thank you to all of the teachers at Bikram Yoga Hampden who have welcomed me into their yoga community with open arms. And the Advanced Class crew at Severna Park as well. Together, these two studios took me in and shaped me into a champion.

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Lastly, I would like to share with you a quote that is on the wall of my home studio.

"In India 'namaste' is a greeting, a way to say "hello" or "goodbye."

It means: I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace. I honor the place in you where, if you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us."

When I first read this quote, it gave me a higher respect for this practice. When the teacher says "namaste" we are usually saying the words without any meaning at all (usually in hopes to rush the teacher out of the room.... at least in my case....). But after I reading that quote, it gave me a deeper sense about my practice and the people around me. When we are in that room, we are one. There is no male, there is no female. There is no tall, there is no short. There is no flexible, there is no inflexible. There is no black, there is no white. There is no gay, there is no straight. There is nothing but the energy that unites us, that makes us whole. And I would like to thank you for sharing your energy with me.

BUT ENOUGH OF THAT JIBBER JABBER.

I'm going to try to wrap this post up. The rest of my posts won't be this long, I swear. And I bless any of you who have read through this essay.

It is currently 1:14 AM on Friday in Baltimore. My plane leaves at 8:55 AM. I have been packing my carry on bag while my mother and father are taking care of the clothes and suitcases. Bless them for being such a supportive force and believing in me... and most importantly for taking me to L.A.!

I will post everyday about L.A., the studios here, and the yoga community here as well, in case you are interested. I have never been to the West Coast. But that is about to change in 7 hours.

Thank you for reading this and I wish you happiness and success in your journey through this practice.

Please feel free to post comments, you do not need to be a member to post comments. Just make sure you leave your name so I know who you are.

-A.J.