Warrior II

So, last time I was pregnant, I practiced a lot of prenatal yoga. I did the same video about twice a week and went to class in Provo every Saturday morning with Bridget and Noelle. I've mentioned before that I think this made all the different during parts of that pregnancy compared to this one when I have not been as consistent.

This time around I've been doing the best I can, but I have missed out on a lot of good days. One thing that is new to my prenatal routine, though, is Warrior II. This is a pose that I have used in regular yoga for years and never appreciated or cared about. Then I found it again in a new prenatal video. It seemed to align my hips differently and add something to my pregnant body. And since I rarely have time for a video, I use bits and pieces of routines to get me through the day. I added Warrior II to my so called "Yoga 911" series. I often do my Yoga 911 right before bed, before a long car ride or in the middle of the night when the paid is too unbearable to sleep (because I have not been taking care of my body.)

The other night I was standing in the living room in the dark at 3 a.m. I started my yoga crash course. While I was in Warrior II, I noticed that the little light on the Tivo machine behind me was creating a giant shadow of my body on the far wall. It was the biggest shadow I have ever seen. I was huge but in perfect proportion to my regular self. I looked big and strong. I starred at it for a long time. I stayed in the pose as long as I could.

It reminded me of the statue of The David in Italy. I always thought The David was life-sized. But when I turned the corner and first saw him from 500 yards away at the base of a marble rotunda I saw that he is, in fact, huge. And he is beautiful. He is perfect. He is a warrior -- and the best kind.

As I stood there in the pose, I thought about the irony of the Tivo. I normally use this prized possession to pull myself out of my true and best self by watching crap and wasting time. And yet because I chose to seek balance and peace for myself in that night, the Tivo was used to make me bigger and better and remind me of my strength and beauty and power. The yoga and the pose were better than my easy street; they were stronger than my weakness. Stronger than my pain. Stronger than my impatience. Stronger than my fears.

Warrior II makes me stronger. It fixes my body. It changes my thoughts. The pose will forever, because of this pregnancy and that little Tivo light, be different for me, and it will not go unnoticed anymore.