This is not a yoga mat, this is
muscles tensed and taught
and sweat, this is
three house moves and
two different countries
this is acceptance of the moment,
this is my homelike place, this is
exactly where I need to be, this is
my safe space, this
is where I grow:
A push beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone;
a place where I find peace
within myself and with the world at large;
this is getting sober
this is losing love
and finding it again.
This is not a yoga mat
this is the cornerstone of my
moveable church
this is my breath within
this (is
my) place of worship.
© Experimentsinfiction 2021, All Rights Reserved
Written for dVerse
Mish is hosting dVerse Poetics today, and she has asked us to write an object poem, or more specifically:
Choose an object from your home or outdoors. Look past the obvious characteristics and uses of this object. Spare us the details. Instead, take us to the connection that it has made with you or what it represents.
What better subject for such a challenge than my beloved yoga mat? You can see the marks where I have practiced my poses time and time again. But yoga isn’t really about the physical postures. It’s about connecting with the divine within ourselves. So it does seem like much more than an object to me, as I’ve tried to illustrate in the poem above.
Veneration at it’s best, thanks to a mere mat. Well done, Ingrid.
Love this ♡♡
Thank you!🧘♀️
Such a great poem and a touching story to go with it! You will soon be like Linus with his blanket… inseparable! Well done!
🤣 that would be funny…I do have a strap so I can carry it around!
:>)
You haven’t been playing Twister with the kids again, have you?
They do sometimes join in!
Yes! Your words are the connection we all have with our yoga mats. I, too, have a yoga mat.:)
Then you understand! Namaste 🙏
This is a fascinating write. Ah, if the yoga mat could talk, the tales it could tell!!
From your words, it’s easy to see that it’s as much a state of mind as it is a mere physical presence.
That’s true, Ken, and something I didn’t realise till I’d been practicing a while.
this is aces!
Thank you: it’s like a villanelle in physical form 🤣
yeah, i heard. it’s all in the stretching 🙂
🤣
I love it, Ingrid! It’s certainly moved around a lot, been your constant companion and home from home – as well as your place of worship.
I needed one thing that didn’t change where I could ground myself!
This piece instantly linked itself to me. I love how this writing honors and holds space!
Thank you, Jaya: I’m pleased it made that connection!
I can feel your affection and reverence for your “not a yoga mat.”
You made it clear to us how important and meaningful it is to you!
And this was stunning this yoga matt you call home where your blood, sweat and tears have been shed and carried you to who your are today. Brilliant, bursting love and sunshine. LOVE this and how couldn’t I. I might have to do a play off this one for my newsletter. Bravo! 👏👏👏👏❤️
Thank you Cindy 🧘♀️😊❤️
You’re so welcome! ❤️🤗
“this is the cornerstone of my
moveable church
this is my breath within
this (is
my) place of worship” wow, I love that
Thanks Debi 🙏
Just as good as a church.
Wow, I found this to be very moving. It is inspiring and comforting to see the connection this yoga mat has made with you, giving you the constant you needed through all those twists and turns of life.
great poem, I can see yoga is to you what meditation is to me!
Our way of staying balanced thru whatever life throws at us, well done
Well, everyone needs a yoga mat like yours … though I suspect it’s you creating all the wonderful magic!
A good church I’d say. (K)
Delightful, Ingrid! This is the best of the many poems I have seen from this prompt! Meaningful, and tells a heartwarming story. Bravo! <3 <3 <3 Wishing you a sunny day!
This is not a yoga mat more a condensed life history and a reaching out to God where ever or whatever God might be! a fine piece of writing.
Thank you! Namaste 🙏
I’m really like “this is my … moveable church” – that pretty much says it all.
I know what you mean with breath… maybe I should start using my mat as well.
I never could have imagined that a yoga mat or a poem about a yoga mat would make me cry. 😢
A sacred (sweaty) space that you described so beautifully. 🧘♀️ 💖
Oh thank you, Michele! I’m pleased it touched your heart 🙏❤️
Beautiful!
Thank you 🙏
I don’t have a yoga mat, but everything in this poem resonates with me, most delightfully “the cornerstone of my invisible church.” Interesting that you and I both included the word cornerstone in our responses to this prompt. Namaste.
Namaste 🙏 Also interesting – I live just over the border from Croatia in Slovenia.
That is interesting!!
This demonstrates how much an object can mean to us. It seems that this yoga mat is actually a doorway for you.
I really liked your ending lines,
this is the cornerstone of my
moveable church
this is my breath within
this (is
my) place of worship
Well done.
Thank you: a doorway is a good way to describe it 🙏
this is great! come check out my blog too 🙂 let’s connect! http://www.thevoicewithinblog.com