I know my yoga instructor was referencing the physical. At least she was referencing at least the physical. As we moved through our practice, she highlighted our poses, and our movement through our poses, as our antidote to calcification.

I’ll admit it, I’m getting older. Although I’m gullible (or eager) enough to believe the people I meet on the street who say, “there’s no way you could have a college-aged daughter!” I’m getting older. And as one progresses, I’m just sayin, one starts to notice the difference in their body. The calcification.

My yoga – my practice, my movement – is an antidote to that.

But it’s an antidote to so many other calcifications, or potential calcifications, in my life as well. And an example of how I can remedy those hardenings, perhaps even before they happen.

My heart and soul can calcify too. I can lose hope, and fun. I can come to see other than the best in others, and other than the joy and love in my life. I can fall into my cynical self, my critical self, my self-critical self, my hypersensitive self. I can hold too high standards – for myself and the people around me whom I live and work with. I be bitchy (yes even me) and even caustic (I hate to admit).

I can calcify.

Yoga is one of my antidotes to this calcification. I have other antidotes as well.

Walking with friends, or alone. Sitting in sunshine. Sitting in and of itself. Nature in and of itself. Meditation. Pseudo-meditation (my “quiet time”). Actively stretching my heart muscles – looking for the good, searching for the joy, remembering that love is a verb and choosing to love those around me. Laughing. And laughing some more. And some more. A good book. A good movie. A good cry.

Moving my body. Focusing my mind. Opening my heart. Looking for love in all the right places, and doing my best to find it.

Choosing. Choosing. Choosing. Choosing lightness. Choosing pleasure. Choosing beauty. Choosing love. Choosing to be real. Sometimes there’s such pressure to not be real.

Choosing to de-calcify.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, and please share this post with others if it resonates with you!