Le Journal de +Louise

This morning I found myself being unwillingly hurled under a mini celebrity spotlight in class. I was 1 day late, 3 weeks into my 5 days a week challenge, I was not about to give it all up. One more week and the challenge is over.

So I decided to do a double. First class at 7.30am and the second class at 9.30am. 180 minutes of yoga. I’ve done a double before, but not back to back, and I survived. So I thought to myself, “How hard can it be?”

As the class finally inched past more than the half way mark, I got out of Bow Pose disorientated. Suddenly a thin veil of fog clouded my vision, no matter how much I blinked or rubbed my eyes, the entire room remained blanketed under a layer of smoke.

Towards the end of the class, the teacher singled me out and commended me on my efforts. “Louise did a double session today, she was also here for the 7.30am class.”

As she adjusted my stretch and pushed me deeper into the posture, she said “Beautiful stretch, Louise. See? The second class is always so much easier than the first, well done!”

Every stretched and worked out iota in me wanted to scream out at her. I wanted to caution everyone within that hot, humid room that it is definitely not easier. In fact, it was hard as hell. Triangle nearly killed me and I could barely attempt half of Camel. I wanted to scream “NO, it is not easier! Didn’t you notice me struggling to work through all the postures in the class?” A concoction of sweat and tears trickled down my burning cheeks, all I managed was to feign a weak smile. In a mere distance, I could even hear muffled claps from a few regular yogis beside me.

As I lied down in Savasana, I forcefully focused my eyes at that dull grey speck on the ceiling, watching it slowly take shape over graduated shades of black.

Really? Does anything really ever get any easier?

No, nothing ever does.

But at this point in time, on this very day, all I could do is just keep breathing and keep working at it.