My birthday was on Sunday, March 24th. I woke up to friends and relatives wishing me a happy birthday. I decided to do the 90-minute 26 and 2 classes. After I was done with my practice, as I exited the door, Clari, one of the vinyasa teachers, wished me a happy birthday. It caught me off guard, and the other yogis I practiced with started coming to me, wishing me a happy birthday in the lobby. It was such a genuine moment because everyone was coming towards me. My main man, Alex, told me he would take me out for me ( which he did ), and Clari provided me with a yoga strap and a water bottle, which I needed.
I decided to take the Vinyasa class because I had time to kill before celebrating my b-day with my family. Towards the end of the vinyasa class, while in Savasana, Clari and the rest sang Happy Birthday to me. She recorded a bit of the celebration with her iPhone; I was lying on the floor, covering my face with the yoga towel, happy and laughing with pure joy. I hugged her and thanked everyone for wishing me a happy b-day. I’ve been practicing with Clari for about three years; she has taught for over a year. She had no clue that she was going to be a teacher. She got certified to improve her practice and ended up teaching. She is genuinely a fantastic teacher. What makes her outstanding as a teacher is that she can connect with people spiritually, and I notice that. She will always end class with a positive quote. One of the quotes I like from her is, ” It’s only yoga, shot out to Steven. I told her when it was time to get certified as a Vinyasa teacher. She is going to have to mentor me. She said ok with a smile.