Just after clearing security, to my delight, I came upon a Yoga room.  I entered the unoccupied peaceful sanctuary and welcomed my happy solitude.  I removed my shoes and my YogiTote* from my carry-on backpack.

* A YogiTote is a yoga mat sized terry cloth towel with plastic nubs on one side to help prevent slipping around while practicing yoga. I always carry my YogiTote with me for travel as more and more airports have yoga rooms.  I just place it over the complimentary yoga mat, and also use it in my hotel room, it is much lighter than carrying around my yoga mat.

~ For those of you who know my yoga mat know exactly what I mean. ~

YOGA ROOM FRANKFURT

Yoga Sanctuary ~ Frankfurt Airport, Germany

I began my practice with a Sun Salutations A, B, and C (a series of forward bends, planks, squats, warrior, and lunge postures).  Since my total travel time was approximately 24 hours, and I would be sitting for about 21 of those hours, I decided to move into a series I designed called “Awakening the Psoas**”.   

** The psoas major is a long fusiform muscle located on the side of the lumbar region of the vertebral column and brim of the lesser pelvis. It joins the iliacus muscle to form the iliopsoas.  It is what is required for sitting.  Additionally, it embraces the 2nd chakra, which stimulates creativity.

After a few minutes woman entered the yoga room, and without acknowledging me began an ashtanga yoga practice.  We moved through our own practice to the sound of our breath.

After a little while, the door to the yoga room cracked open with a young man standing on the outside evaluating the small space and then started to back away.  I motioned him to enter, and moved my mat to make room for him.  His face lit up with a smile, the ashtanga practitioner kept to her practice.

As I left the yoga room, the young man stopped his practice, put his palms together in front of his heart, smiled and bowed.  I put my free hand to my heart, smiled, and returned the bow.

For me,  yoga is so much more than plank, triangle, and warrior postures.  Although the asana (physical practice) is a vital ingredient of yoga, it comprises only 1/8th of the entire system of yoga.  Yoga is about inclusion, rather than exclusion.  Yoga is about connection, rather than separateness. Yoga is about learning to connect with myself, accepting myself, and loving myself so that I can sit with myself.  In this way, I can connect with others, my family, my friends and my community, and accept them just as they are – beautiful and perfect.

In the Lufthansa lounge, getting ready to board my flight to Delhi, I found amusement with this scene.  In capturing this photograph, I was a discrete as possible, but after I took this shot I heard a couple of women giggling.  Two beautiful  Indian women standing near the counter had “caught me in the act.”

MAN IN AIRPORT

“Financial Times”

I approached one of the giggling women adorned in a striking yellow sari and we began a conversation.  It seemed rather that we continued a conversation from a long time ago, or yesterday.   As we conversed, it was as though we knew each other for years.  We giggled, we cried, we talked, and then we hugged, as we wished each other safe journeys.

The power of yoga can transcend us from disconnectedness and loneliness to aliveness and openness to enriched experiences.

When you open your heart to the treasures that are right in front of you, you’ll be amazed at what you will find!

Namaste –

Kathleen

Copyright © 2016 Kathleen M. Callan

All Rights Reserved