Hanufootinthefaceasana

Busy morning, this morning. Lots of guys. Usually there are more women than men at Volleyball Guy's, but when I arrived this morning, I was greeted by Returning Guy, Chanting Man, Bikram Guy and the new guy--who, obviously, I cannot name "New Guy," unless I decide to have a promotion system, where folks only get blog names after appearing for a while as New Guy or New Gal. You know what? I like that idea. Okay, so New Guy was also there today.

Before I was done with my suryas, Sanskrit Scholar and The British Director showed up. So then there was some grrl power.

I practiced next to Chanting Man for the first time today. Returning Guy was on my other side. I already know that Returning Guy respects my space and knows that I respect his, and that it's pleasant to practice near him, but I wasn't sure about Chanting Man. Of course, as it turns out, he is a lovely person to practice near. I was turning to my second side for hanumanasana, and there was his foot in the floaty part of utthita hasta padangusthasana. He'd done UHP sideways on his mat, since we were so crowded. "Sorry, Karen," he whispered. "No worries," I whispered back.

I'm not sure what it is, but I love those little interactions in the midst of Mysore practice. It makes us co-conspirators. Of what, exactly, I'm not sure. But now we're friends. Because he stuck his foot in my face. Or, more likely, because we are both trying to do the same thing, in a very small space. The concessions we make to each other at Volleyball Guy's are representative of how people should behave but so often don't. There's something about that, simple as it is, that I just really love. It is a good way to start the day.