Cat Stretch Fever

Stories are great. I depend on stories for my classes, my clients, and for my own peace of mind. A good story can get my mind and heart whirling for hours and can be a source of inspiration for a weeks worth of yoga classes.  This week my favorite story came from a student. She came in for her weekly fundamentals class and sat down on her mat and said, "Ashley, I've just GOT to tell you about this cat." In my book, this is a really good opening line, and the story hooked me instantly not because I like cats, but because of the urgency in her voice.


This woman says that she is not a saint.  She simply thinks that being a foster parent for animals in local shelters is "the right thing to do".  She also said that "I figure if I have to get my wings, this isn't a bad way to do it."  I agree.  If we get wings at the end of our lifetime, I think this is a pretty noble way to get them.
She continued to tell me about this cat she would see in the local DC shelter. "Every time I see this cat it looks worse and worse. It is all bunched up in its cage, it is losing hair, and the shelter says that with all of her health problems, she'll never get adopted."  So this kind woman decided to foster this stressed out cat.  The shelter had named her "Precocious."  Now here is where the story gets good.  She brings the cat home, and after one hour, it has softened into a more normal shape of a cat.  And after two hours, the cat had completely relaxed and was stretching out in a super incredible back bend.
"It was like she was doing yoga!" the woman exclaimed. "As soon as she started to feel comfortable, I could see her relax, and once she relaxed her instinct was to stretch!  I have noticed that since I have started doing yoga, I am more relaxed and want to stretch more too!".  I could see the light bulbs going off in her head, and I could feel them going off in mine too.  I guess when we feel comfortable and safe, we relax, and when we relax, we want to open and stretch.
"It was like she was doing yoga!" the woman exclaimed. "As soon as she started to feel comfortable, I could see her relax, and once she relaxed her instinct was to stretch!  I have noticed that since I have started doing yoga, I am more relaxed and want to stretch more too!".  I could see the light bulbs going off in her head, and I could feel them going off in mine too.  I guess when we feel comfortable and safe, we relax, and when we relax, we want to open and stretch.
In the yoga classroom we are essentially doing the same thing. We are creating a safe and comfortable place where we can relax, stretch out and show our vulnerable parts. The modern yoga studio is like a safe haven where we can quiet our minds, deepen our breath, and roll around on the floor like fuzzy animals.  Now the cat formerly known as "Precocious" has been renamed "Patsy" and is enjoying a yogic life of leisure, love, and lots of sweet back bends with belly rubs.
I love stories because they are more than just stories. Stories are truths in different forms. It doesn't matter if it is a cat or a cheesy metaphor about humans rolling around on the ground like animals.  The truth is one in the same.