Recently I had a 4 hour delay at Midway airport in Chicago, yikes!
The trouble with so many trips and too many fights lately is twofold. Flying wreaks havoc on the body and the carbon footprint wreaks havoc on the planet
My good fortune, however, was that amazingly enough the airport had a yoga studio. I was a happy camper!
I found myself in the yoga room on the mat with perhaps a middle-aged business looking type woman on her mat beside me. She did legs up the wall in her striped cotton dress and blonde ponytail while I eased my way through a few rounds of salutation to the sun. I suspect we both appreciated the quiet serene environment.
As she ended, I smiled and said “isn’t it wonderful to be able to stretch between flights?” She replied “yes, I was going to do some OMs but I didn’t want to bother you”. My response “no worries, go for it”. At which point she boomed out 3 hearty Oms.
I reflected for a moment and realized, if I had seen her hustling to her gate rather than standing in Tadasana with hands in prayer pose, I might have mistakenly made assumptions about who she was: or who I thought she was. I still don’t know who she was/is except that her beautiful practice touched my heart right there the Chicago airport.
I might have forgotten that just like most of us, quite likely she longed for ease and peace and connection. Maybe even a deep feeling for something beyond our usual routines and superficial conversations.
I gave gratitude for all those trying to make our world a better place and for those who thought to provide a space in the midst of the noise and bustle of an airport to turn inward and care for our bodies, and for the magical gift of a moment of connection