Off The Mat Yoga

Off-the-mat yoga became real to me this
week. I don’t mean lovely things are happening that might indirectly be connected to my yoga and meditation practices. I mean that I am witnessing significant, substantial changes in life that feel directly connected to my morning practice.

We’re in the middle of a theatre production involving late
nights, mornings that are less than perky, half-hearted physical
practice, and groggy meditations.

Nonetheless, I am amazed at how personal
practice has shaped who I am off the mat and in the theatre.

Here are the most noticeable changes:

1. Calmness in the face of disaster. We have an actor-cat, Otis, who decided this week that he
   is a free agent. Two nights ago he slipped from his harness,
   mid-scene, and escaped an entire backstage crew while his poor scene
   partner ad libbed on stage in his absence (“I have a cat here
   somewhere. I do!”). I sat backstage and breathed deeply, knowing everything would be all right. We considered the whole thing a one-off until
   Otis escaped again last night. A year ago I would have sworn a blue
   streak and stopped breathing altogether. A year ago I would have
   fantasized about stringing Otis up by his wayward paws. This calmness is very strange.

2. My preparation for stage (think of
   yours for public presentations, interviews, weddings, and funerals)
   used be a kind of mental Olympic event that involved winding up, going over and over lines, recreating elaborate emotional
   states, and trying unsuccessfully to calm my nervousness. The result
   was that I wasn’t really present by the time I walked on stage.

   All I do now is
   relax into my body, warm my voice, breathe fully, and trust. The resulting
   focused calm as I walk on stage is a miracle.

1. Every night is a first. Forget
   the cat. Forget the people who love our work, the people who
   don’t, and the insecurities that rear their pathetic heads. Forget the people in the front row who chatted loudly all
   the way through last night’s performance (“Oh, look at her
   dress! I had a dress like that once. Maybe that is my dress!”).
   Let the hostages go. There is no point in letting yesterday hijack
   today’s energy.

   I knew this one in my head before. Now
   my body knows it.

Breathe when things get challenging,
relax and trust, and now is all there is. Off-the-mat yoga. It’s
working. Yoga is having its way with me. It’s like something blooming in unexpected places. And holy moly, it feels good.

What have you seen off the mat?

Thanks to yoga for changing everything.
Thanks to you for the conversation,

kristin

Dr.
Kristin Shepherd is a chiropractor, actor, and speaker (About All
Things Wonderful) in North Bay, Ontario.  Join her on the web,
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