Granted, Sunday afternoons are a hard sell -- everyone enjoying the final weekend (at least, here) before school registrations begin; or, just staying inside, avoiding the heat. But, I decided to go for it, anyway -- these are things I must do to get out of my 'comfort' zone from time to time.

My topic? 'Re-Muster Your Power'. Why? The word 'power' keeps popping into my field of awareness lately. Like, in every book I pick up, many of the quotes I'm reading, and the discussions I've been involved in. Not 'power' like strength or vigor, but 'power' as in ability, capacity, potential, confidence -- like that.

Why 'Re-Muster'? Mainly because I was tired of using the word remember; but look up the word 'muster' and you'll find a definition of 'to assemble'. Which, I think is what we have to do; we have to 'assemble' all of our skills in order to re-claim some. And, the 'Re-' part? well, many of us had all those skills assembled at one time in our lives (maybe during childhood), and we've camouflaged, concealed, hidden, or simply forgot, them as we grew to adulthood. Now we are busy taking care of children, working, doing the things we think we 'should' do; 'power' got set aside as we moved into this stage of our lives.

The Universe threw me a challenge. Earlier in the week, I started with a sore throat, that expanded to a feeling like a rock in my lungs, which escalated to a cough that was in full bloom by Sunday. Fun to try to talk, throat tickling, coughing like a person who has smoked one too many cigarettes (BTW, I've never smoked).

Well, there was no way out -- I had to do it; so I prepared, gathered my materials, made my way to the studio, placed my seat with Hanuman at my side. Then I waited for the crowd to arrive for this expansion class, scheduled to being at 1pm. At 12:58pm, in walked one student; at 1pm - on the dot - in walked the second.

Sometimes, things are perfect; this was perfect. Both students were struggling with issues - physical and emotional. The last thing either needed was a 'kick-butt' 2-hour yoga class; and the last thing I could teach effectively, considering my cough, was such a class. Instead, we talked, we shared thoughts about 'power' in our lives, we did move - but it wasn't the backbend class I'd planned -- instead we opened all parts, then spent time in a restorative pose, pranayama, and meditation.

Expansion Classes will become part of my repertoire -- interesting that, during the Wanderlust experience, one of the philosophy scholars noted that almost every expansion (growth) we've experienced has come out of a period of contraction (tightness, dwindling, small). If we look back at our individual history's, that becomes evident. Maybe that will be my next topic!?!??!

Have a great Monday!