A different kind of pigeon...

...not the curly feathered kind from the fair, but the yoga kind of pigeon pose.

I started going to a weekly yoga class at the gym in January. Yoga is one of those things that I'd always wanted to try, but never made a special effort for. So when the new gym started a 6:00am yoga class (the time we're always there on weekdays anyway), I started going. Once a week is probably not the optimal way to improve at yoga, but I've been able to tell that I'm gradually getting a bit more flexible, and I don't hurt after class any more.

Real progress was finally evident to me this week when we were doing the pigeon pose. After reclining forward for a while (it always seemed like forever in the beginning), we sit up, bend and grab the back leg with one hand, while reaching forward with the other arm. I was always pretty wobbly at this, because I wasn't flexible enough to keep my hips low to the mat. Scott, the instructor, is always telling us that this pose isn't about balancing, but for me, that was the best I could do. This week,though, I was finally able to keep my hips down and hold the pose in a stable manner. It was like something had finally clicked into place, physically and mentally. The change had been so slow and gradual (over 8 months), that I didn't really realize it would ever be possible.

It felt pretty neat.

I don't know that I'll ever be able to do the full pose, where you bring your back foot up to the back of your head, reaching back and over head with your arms, but this little thing is enough of a reward for me.