Blissing Out ~ A Re-Run

Originally posted February 2011
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Sissy called and invited me to a "restorative yoga" class today and because I am in serious need of restoration, off I went.

I had no idea what to expect of restorative yoga and just as we placed our mats down, wisely at the back of the class this time, a man walked in with a giant duffle bag and set up camp in front of me. He pulled out every piece of yoga equipment known to (wo)man and some things I'm not certain were part of yoga at all. I expected him to pull out a small child or a baseball bat. Then he constructed a wall of yoga items surrounding himself on his mat. Another woman asked him if we'd be needing all those things and he was all "Oh yes, you'll need props for this class. You'll definitely need a belt".

A what now?

I give sissy the "What the Hell do we need a belt for?" look and she gives me the "I have no freaking idea" look. Yes, we're telepathic. Sissy and I then give each other the "holy crap" eyes for the 10 minutes before class started...but my mind was open...my body in need of restoration...

Ohm.

Then class began and I forgot all about the duffle bag man and I entered blissdom.*

Let me tell you about restorative yoga people. There are eye masks, there are head rubbins, there are cozy blankets to be tucked into. There is BLISS.

The instructor was phenomenal. She also had a mohawk. Need I say more? At one point I am lying down under a blanket which she kindly tucked me into, eye mask on, blanket rolled under my neck, big comfy pillow tube thingy under my knees (yes, that is the proper yoga term), breathing....just breathing...feeling better than I have in a very long time...and then she asks if we want peppermint oil.

Well, I don't know what she's gonna do with the peppermint oil and I can't see a freaking thing with my lovely eye mask on but my answer is yes. YES! YES! YES! Bring on the oil baby!! Slowly I can smell it wafting across the room and my desire for a Mint Aero bar becomes pretty intense...but I'm breathing...breathing...I am vaguely aware that she's moving around the room but I have no idea what is going on and I am so freaking blissed out that I don't care to move or even peek. I'm eagerly awaiting her visit to my mat.

And then - brace yourselves - the instructor rubbed some peppermint oil on her hands and gave me head rubbins people! A freaking massage o' the head. Only myveryfavoritethingintheentirefreakingworld!!!(Something I usually have to trade sexual favors for at my house ~ and the husband doesn't even use essential oils).

We lie in this blissful position for a few more minutes until she tells us to slowly sit up and as I remove my eye mask, I look over at my sister who looks like she has just seen heaven and probably Ryan Reynolds was there. Her hair is all poufed out and crazy-like and she obviously got the oil head rubbins too. A minor burst of hysterical laughter ensues.

The class continued on with one more blissful relaxing pose after another until we ended with the most touching Celtic prayer I've ever heard, which we initially spoke and then sang. The instructor's voice was so beautiful that it made me cry. I couldn't sing the prayer after I heard her sing because her voice struck me to my deepest core and all I could do was stand there with my hands in the heart position and let the tears stream down my face.

In the end you sing the prayer to yourself, to the others in the class, and lastly, you send it out to someone who needs healing. It was magnificent. It was magical. I would post it here for you but I was so in the moment (read: crying)**, that I can't remember any of the words.

So, that's where I'll be two days a week. Being restored. Mind, body and soul.

Also, I really want a mohawk now but that might be a little too Jennifer Jason Leigh in Single White Female.

*And I didn't even have to smoke anything before class. Not that I would ever do such a thing.

**It should be noted that while this class made me cry, it made Sissy laugh hysterically. I'm talking a crazy @ss laugh in which there was snorting. She laughed so hard all the way to the car that I thought she might hyperventilate. I almost peed laughing at her laughter. It's amazing the emotions that yoga brings up. Well, that, or her cheese has slipped right off her cracker.