Magpie at Hanuman Temple, Maureen O'Connor Saringer, photographer
It is so easy for me to over-analyze this, and look for something new that no one has said yet. Something profound and quote-worthy. But the simple truth is that the one thing that has effected the greatest positive change in my life is yoga.
I am not a naturally bendy person, and I started yoga quite by accident. A friend had been attending a Pilates class at a local rec center, and showed up one day to discover that her class had been cancelled. She noticed people with yoga mats, and she followed them around the corner to discover an open-hearted yoga teacher who welcomed her into the group. When my friend began to rave about the class, I decided to try it.
Nearly 10 years have passed since I began. I still have trouble with many poses that lots of people can do almost right away. But I have learned that yoga is much more than just the physical practice. Sure, it's about the bending, twisting, stretching, and getting upside down. But it's also about the quiet, the looking inward, the pausing. Learning to be kind to yourself. Breathing. Seeing without judging. Noticing.
The yoga studio where I practice is one of my most sacred spaces, and I am grateful for my teacher and my fellow students, with whom I share this great journey.
Maureen O'Connor Saringer
