Yogic inspiration

I woke up on Saturday morning feeling grumpy. Fortunately the sun was shining, so I strapped on my walking boots and set off for a brisk walk to clear my head.

There is a yoga mantra I like to march to, Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha, which roughly translated means Salutations and prostrations to Lord Ganesha. I’m not a Hindu so the call to Lord Ganesha means nothing to me on a religious level, but I’m not averse to tapping into his energies. He is the one who it is said helps in overcoming obstacles, so was ideal for my frame of mind. That’s often the way with mantra: it’s not the literal translation that matters, it’s the way it makes me feel that’s important.

Anyway, whether it was some other-worldly power or just the blast of cold air, I don’t know, but something did the trick. Since then I’ve felt quite inspired. I’ve subbed and proofed a batch of copy for a professional journal I work on, entered a couple of writing competitions, written a list of possible themes for future yoga lessons and planned my lessons up to Christmas. Hell, I’ve even signed up for the Sport Relief Mile next March!

My main challenge for this week, however, is to make sure I’m as near note perfect as I can manage for my choir performance on Saturday: highlights from Handel’s Messiah, a bunch of carols and, just for fun, a selection from White Christmas. Should be a good evening.