Kripalu and musings on new beginnings

Not for the first time, I started out a year by paying a visit to Kripalu, a yoga retreat center in the beautiful Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Once again, I went with a friend who’s been part of my life since junior high school, refreshing ourselves with a much-needed time out. It was astonishing in some ways to curl up in our shared room like we used to curl up during sleepovers–only this time talking about retirement (not that I’m planning to “retire” from writing and her retirement is more than a decade away, but planning is on her mind), the love and struggle of life with aging parents, how romance changes to solid love over the course of a long marriage, how our bodies are changing post-menopause. Yet it felt so right. She’s known me longer than anyone I know today except my mother.

I went to Kripalu dealing with what I thought was the remnants of a nasty cold (Unfortunately it turned out to be the start of a secondary bacterial infection and resulting asthma flare-up. Yuck!) Instead of the intensely physical time I’d originally planned, with hiking and vigorous vinyasa yoga filling my days, I concentrated on more gentle yoga, breathwork and meditation.

It was remarkably good for me.

One of the things I focused on was how to reinvigorate my writing, how to find the joy I used to feel when writing was my avocation, not my job. I have some ideas. You may see some different stories from me in the future along with the erotic romances you’ve come to expect. I’m writing poetry again. I’m remembering how to play and laugh as I create.

What will come of this on a professional level, I can’t say. But more joy is never a bad thing.