read all the posts in the Monkey Mind series
Julie C Trubkin is a writer and a member of the 889 Yoga community. Monkey Mind is Julie’s bi-weekly contribution to 889′s blog. Look for the Monkey Mind header to follow Julie’s experiences as 889′s Resident Monkey Mind.
This is Part 2 of 3 of the January Jots. Read Part 1, Dear January Joiners, Have Some February Fortitude and Part 3, How A Teacher Inspired My Hatred
My New Mat
“Why bob around when you can surf. Be clear with your intention.”
-Eoin Finn
In big bold letters on my mental holiday wish list, I wrote: NEW YOGA MAT. Granted no one but me could see this list, it was still something I really hoped to get. The one I was using (I named her Piece-y because she liked to leave a part of herself on me every time I touched her) had died in her third month of life and that was nine months ago. But the holidays came and went and no mat.
I signed up for 889’s New Year’s Day #SweatYourIntention event in the hopes of starting the year out right. I had a tiny bit of hope that I’d be able to introduce myself to Eoin Finn to share with him the article that I had written about him called “Bliss You. Gesundheit.” I was proud of it, but when the time came, I lost my nerve.
Julie C Trubkin
The class was as hippie as I imagined it would be and I loved every second of it. We wrote out our intentions for the year and my scribbles covered the page. Seeing all of your hopes and dreams and plans on one cue card is oddly empowering. It was as if Eoin and his graceful wife Insiya had brought the ocean with them into that banquet hall and the cumulative energy in the room flowed in calming waves. Seeing them work together was beautiful and made me wish my mister would join me in yoga. If only he could have seen these two together. I yoga-ed on past this wishful thinking and soon found that my heels met the floor for the first time in my life and though it hasn’t happened since, it made everything in 2013 seem possible. Maybe even a yoga class with my love?
”Find your edge. The edge is meant to be a little uncomfortable. If the edge wasn’t uncomfortable, it would be called the couch.”
-Eoin Finn
Eoin’s tidbits of wisdom were giggle worthy and added an additional level of difficulty to my balance poses. Good thing I had the grip of my newly gifted Lululemon mat under me. It was bye bye to Piece-y because someone read my mind. No more random bits of yoga mat stuck to this girl. Walking out, I was at peace, unlike Piece-y who could sense her impending fate. This new mat was bright, intact and surprisingly heavy. I thought maybe it was just because my arms were aching post class, but no, it legitimately set off the passenger seatbelt warning sound. My commute had just gotten a bit more cumbersome but my biceps would be grateful. Also, did you know that new mat smell isn’t like a new car smell? It isn’t something that you’d bottle and try to sell. It is an intense rubber odour. I’ve now started apologizing before each class by telling everyone in my smelling vicinity that it’s not me, it’s my mat.
“Yoga is the art of getting out of your own way. Society has things you should do and I realized it starts with sssshhhhh.”
-Eoin Finn
