Kansas {50 States of Yoga}

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Nearly 20 minutes away from Leavenworth, KS - the site of my next class - I stopped at a rest area on highway 29.   I had plenty of time on my hands... as my next class wasn't for another hour, so I decided to catch up on emails.  Thank goodness I did!  I had received an email earlier that morning advising that my Leavenworth class had been cancelled!

I don't know what I would do without Google!  I was quickly able to find a class in Lawrence, KS.  The class was in 90 minutes and I was about an hour away.  Better get back on the road!

 

 

I arrived at OmTree Shala Yoga with time to spare.  I sat in my car... melting... because it was 93 degrees outside.  I am so spoiled here in Northern CA.  I can't handle the extreme heat or extreme cold... at all.  But enough whining - I was in Kansas for yoga and grateful to have found a class that fit into my tight schedule that day.

 

 

 

And what a blessing this class was.  Mindful Vinyasa with Francie was just that.  Francie focused on the mind / body / spiritual connection of yoga.  It wasn't as physically challenging as the previous day's classes, but because I was physically exhausted from those classes, I definitely struggled.  Francie included walking meditation into the class, as well.  I had done this years ago at Spirit Rock, but not since.  I enjoyed revisiting walking meditation.  I plan to have a session myself.  I think barefoot, on a trail...  have some sort of grounding, root chakra meditation.  Anyway... OmTree Shala is a beautiful space and Francie's class was wonderful.  I am glad I was brought to this place.  Francie, another yogi, and I joked after class about randomness.  And that maybe I didn't end up there randomly - accidentally.  That maybe it was the universe's plan all along.  Or maybe there is no plan.. maybe it's all random.  Who knows?  And that's what makes the experiences so special.  It's divine.

 

 

 

My drive to Lawrence was on Interstate 70 which has tolls.  Granted, it was only $1.75, but still...  I was in no hurry to drive the 60 minutes to Kansas City, because my class wasn't for several hours, so I took back roads out of the area.  Highway 10, specifically.  Once I got outside of the city limits... into more farmland vistas... I was overcome with emotion.  I felt an overwhelming urge to cry.  Not sadness, not joy, just release.  It was strange, yet beautiful.  It consumed me for a few minutes and then.... gone.  I was full and then I had released the pressure.  Solitude is sometimes an overpowering experience.  I'm grateful I am able to release the tension, the tears.  Before I got sober I was very stiff with emotions.  Or very narrow.  I had anger and rage and frustration and contempt.  I didn't have gratitude or happiness or comfort.  And I didn't allow myself to be overcome.  I didn't allow myself to cry.  And now I cry all the time.  Haha... I cry watching sad commercials.  I cry listening to sappy love songs.  I cry when I seen someone else cry (or even when they just well-up with tears... they don't have to actually cry!).  And now I guess I cry to release the pressure.  To just let it go.  And it felt pretty amazing!

 

I kept following along my GPS lady's instructions onto Interstate 35.  A couple exits in I saw a sign for Old Shawnee Town.  In my head I imagined a Native American - inspired village of some sort.  What I got was a couple of blocks of older storefronts.  A pretty typical "downtown" of a little town.  But I also got something very unexpected and quite breathtaking.  Flags 4 Freedom.  Shawnee {and another town, Merriam} display thousands of American flags along their main drag for a week over the 4th of July holiday.  I wasn't expecting this.  And it was beautiful!  My little video below doesn't do it justice.  I drove for blocks and blocks and both sides of the street were lined with so many flags!

 

Shawnee had a lot of these signs through town.. Stagecoach trail crossings.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to read about Kansas!

All the 50 States of Yoga are here!