Yoga on the Finish Line

Almost every night the team would gather in the bowels of our hotel to relax and do some yoga! The only place that we deemed suitable was a dingy little weight room that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned since the 70s. Each one of us left body prints in the light layer of dust that blanketed the floor. It disgusted me when I considered the many dead skin cells, or microorganisms such as Staplylococcus bacteria, or fungal spores that could happily be culturing in the spongy mats that our faces rested upon. Even though the floor wasn’t the most cleanly and peaceful place to spread my body, I was still able to forget about the life growing in the mat below my face and focus on Rachel’s prompts to breath through my discomfort and focus on my body’s placement. This concept of breathing through your uneasiness and putting yourself into a “happy” place is something that we focus on quite a lot when we do yoga. We continued and soon found ourselves in my most treasured position, savasana! After a hearty stretching, twisting, and flowing session I am able to relax my mind and feel my body’s place. In this moment I feel accomplished, beautiful, and empowered. I am able to reflect on my previous races while in Slovakia. I have completed a skate sprint and a classic 5K. Both of these experiences were characterized by many emotions. Sometimes racing against such a tough field can make me feel lowly and maybe a bit undeserving. The courses were challenging, and there were moments during the 5K classic that caused me to question my racing intentions. Although racing can sometimes be emotionally draining, the same feeling I get in savasna floods over me when I have glided across the finish line. Negative thoughts may linger in my mind for a short time, but as I finish my race and see my team mates and coaches waiting with open arms, I am flooded with feelings of worth, I am aware of my bodies place instead of my name on the score board. I am able to walk away from the racing arena with a gigantic grin on my face. For me, this place can be achieved through finding comfort and satisfaction in the discomfort of being physically spent and emotionally drained. I know that my body has found its place and I am able to relax and enjoy a few deep breaths.