Three years ago, John was working as a Pacific Bell repairman on a telephone box near our yoga studio. He saw the brochures outside, took one and put it on his desk, where it remained for 6 months. Then, one day he took the plunge into the studio and has remained a faithful practitioner for 2 ½ years.
“I guess it was a bit of mid-life crisis that led me to try yoga. I’d been hearing a lot about it and wanted to rearrange the priorities in my life.” Looking to gain physical health (locking onto telephone poles and crawling wires around was tough on his back) as well as, mental solace. “I found that spending 90 minutes of just ‘being in the now,’ focusing on the breathing was as close to meditation as I had ever been.” John tells his friends who complain about everything from a cold to frustration to try yoga.
Inspired by Bikram’s recent lecture in San Francisco, John has upped his practice schedule to four times a week. Two months ago, John grabbed his heels in camel for the first time. His Eagle and Wind Removing poses (notoriously difficult for men) are tremendously improved. “I’m still not that great on them, but I’m getting better….I realize it just takes time…Yoga is an endless challenge.”