Feed Your Soul
Monday, October 24, 2016 at 08:10PM
Cheryl Crotty

Did you ever end up exactly where you needed to be, with the people you needed to be with, and not know it until you arrived?  That's what happened to me Saturday night.  I got a notice from a friend that she was teaching a restorative yoga class not only in Boston, but in the North End, on Hanover St.  I immediately popped off an e-mail to my son telling him of this event and he wrote back saying, "let's do it." Of course my husband came partly because he likes restorative yoga and being with my son, but I suspect he really came because he loves the authentic Italian food that is so abundant in the North End.  

We got there a few minutes early and upon entering the building I was immediately lost in the sensual smells of any good yoga or meditation studio.  Oils and incense permeate the air, and a calmness envelopes you, like a warm, soft blanket.  It has been awhile since I've taken restorative yoga.  When my son sold his studio, probably a year ago now, we fell away from it.  So just in entering the space, seeing all the naked shoes, like little ghost, smelling the air, and giving into the low light, I felt like I was coming home and it was just where I needed to be at that particular moment.  We set up our mats, my husband in front of me, my son by my side and my friend at the front of the room.  I was perfectly, instantly taken away by the sweet, soft sound of her voice...and I didn't come back for 90 minutes..

The space itself is beautiful..a restored walk-up, trust me, it was a walk up.  About 20 people in the room practicing and yet, you are alone with your own heart, soul and mind.  Restorative Yoga is a form of yoga that seeks to achieve physical, mental and emotional relaxation with the aid of props. The use of props makes it easier for you to maintain balance while you are stimulating and relaxing your body. In this class we not only used traditional restorative poses while being guided, in breath, by my lovely friend Rachael Duda, but for the first time the 3 of us where introduces to the singing bowls and flowing water, under the gentle supervision of Elaine O'Rourke.  It was a unique and lovely experience.  I felt myself drifting and then finally letting go, and just being aware of my breath letting the outside world slip away.  So much stress was being held onto that I wasn't even aware of until it was gone. My weary body stretched and moved easily and my new knee felt more like a part of me than a replacement. I came to peace with it's limitations but also came to know that it would serve me well all the rest of my days.  I was where I needed to be and it was a gift that was so easy to give myself and my boys.  Rachael was so gentle in her transfer of poses and also in her hands on healing.  It's like she just knew what we needed right at that moment.  I could have stayed there for much longer but then I did tell you that my husband loves Italian food, right. So slowly and with intention, I came back to the real world. 

Sometimes we let life and circumstances come into our lives and we hold on tight for fear of letting go.  We all have good times and bad.  I was once again rewarded when I put myself first and let go of the feelings that were dragging me down.  I left feeling like every part of my mind, body and soul was working exactly as it should be, and when my feet slipped back into my shoes..it was with confidence that the trip down would be much lighter than the trip up those three flights of stairs.  The universe sometimes takes over for us and plants us right where we need to be. We just have to be open to receiving the gift. I'm very grateful that the universe knows me better than I know myself sometimes..A huge thank you to Rachael and North End Yoga for feeding my soul and then we were off to feed our senses...

Yoga is a light which, once lit

will never dim.

The better your practice,

the brighter your flame.

B.K.S. Iyengar

I just want to share a few photo's of lovely Hanover street on a Saturday night.  It is still very much a neighborhood and life happens in the streets and restaurants, cafe's and coffee houses..it's electric, especially at night.

North End Yoga

Walking while eating gelato...Yum.

Assaggio's on Prince Street for dinner.  The best. Jim approves.

Where neighbors and friends meet...at the bar. 

After dinner, Mike's Pastry. This my friends, is the line to get in and there are four lines inside waiting to order.  Authentic Italian pastry.  The best in town, well except for Modern across the street.

Is it time for you to think about your mind, body and soul.  You might not choose to do restorative yoga but if there is something that you love, that you haven't indulged in lately, give it a go.  It can't hurt and maybe it will be just the thing you need to re-kindle your flame...wishing you the best week ahead...

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