It's 5:30 in the morning. I prepared coffee and my mother woke up from the noise. Last night V. caught up with us for yoga, she didn't know if she would be able to make it because of work arrangements, but in the end we found each other at the entrance of the studio.
It's not actually a studio, but a flat where two yogis who are a couple give classes. I met them at my former studio, which I cancelled because they moved classes to start earlier after work, and it would have been outrageous (in my company at least) to leave before 18:30. The "young ones" have instituted a culture of long hours, which us veterans feel ambiguous about, but we also don't want to discourage them from doing it. When I talked about this with my bosses in my yearly review, we commented the most important thing is not burning out and they encouraged me to make my own schedule as I saw fit, and I was glad about it.
So this Pair of Yogis (their actual name) hosted a retreat last weekend and I attended with my mother. I forgot my jacket and I had to pick it up for the camino, so I asked to attend class for the first time at their flat for an Ashtanga class. My mother would do what she could. V. wasn't sure she'd be able to attend, she would only know last minute.
We were the only people at the class, another guy had signed up (and even paid) but didn't show up. I didn't know this, but the class was mysore style, which has pros and cons for a beginner (more personal attention, yet it's not guided). V. and mom were taught the Suryanamaskar A and B sequences, while I did a half of the full sequence. I noticed myself much more stiff, and my body was aching, which I chalked down to my spotty practice lately (when I quit my studio I said to them: my yoga is now being with my family, how corny!).
After practice V. invited us for dinner at her home, where her father is recovering from a cataracts medical procedure. We said "that would be great, but we have a lot of food at home that we ought to eat before leaving", so we agreed to go fetch the food and then have dinner with them. V. prepared a salad and cut ham from a leg that was gifted to her from work (a tradition in Spain). I'll make a small segue to say that I'm really appreciative that my company chose to give us cash bonuses which are taxed, companies often try to give you bullshit items you don't really need because they get more out of it in theory, but this trip I'm doing with my mother is something that comes from my Christmas bonus. But I must also acknowledge V's leg of ham as it made a great addition to our improvised pre-christmas dinner.
V. had extended a non-binding invitation for Christmas dinner with herself and her father, which in retrospect I see was done in such a way that didn't make me feel obligated to accept, but she hoped to have dinner with us. I'm sometimes the same way: I would have phrased it "I would really like to have you over, but don't let that stop you from making other plans", and she literally said it was we were leaving: I'm glad we could have the dinner I was looking forward to.
She also said to me: "I didn't recognize your voice when you arrived". I begun speaking and found a certain hoarseness in it. As I layed in savasana earlier I felt tickles in the back of my throat. She said "could it be that you are getting sick?", and bam it hit me: my practice was achy and much degraded not only because of my spotty practice, but because I was getting sick.
Today I woke up with that feeling of illness. I have not reconsidered the trip. If anything, I think it might be better to be at 60% so that my mother and myself are better matched physically. V plead with me: if you feel sick let go, come back, we can have Christmas dinner here. I said "I don't think that's going to happen, but thank you".
It's 6am, time to pack up.