early to rise

Today I have a performance at The Bowery Poetry Club at an open mic hosted by Not in Our City. I signed up to perform awhile ago, but I haven't quite worked out my ideas into one five minute piece. I have given myself the time to complete my piece today. Last night I started drinking a calming night time tea and went to sleep a little after midnight. I decided I wanted to get up early and go to yoga at 7:15 which meant leaving the house no later than 6:45am. I left the house at 6:48am arrousing with not too much trouble. I got to the studio right on time and found out that the teacher for the class had not shown up. There were about 8 students who were prepared to take the class. Two of whom were on their way out of the studio to start their day in another way. I asked if we could still use the yoga studio, and the other instructer who was in the middle of a private lesson accross the hall agreed. There were six of us in the room starting out on our mats, a few moments into the practice one of the studends asked if we would all like to do class together. Everyone agreed and another student offered to lead, and apologized for not knowing the Sanscrit words for various poses. I started out practicing with the class and realized that there were poses that my body needed and decided to break off and do what I knew I needed. This was a huge risk for me, because I don't want to ever displease "the teacher." Since the teacher in this case was another student I was able to relax and follow my intuition. No matter what yogi master is presiding over class I am still the expert about my body.

Then I started to think about the times when I felt like I have let a group of people down. In the future if I am ever in the place of the yoga teacher, who wasn't able to make class today; I hope I can remember that perhaps I am facilitating an important moment for them through my absence.

It is 9:42am (two an hour earlier than I have risen in a long time) I have .practiced yoga and had breakfast (freash squeezed oj with carrot juice and ginger/ shot of wheat grass). I am happy and refreashed and headed to the shower to use my new bath stuff.