Before performing wheel, we find our way into bridge.  Before attempting arm balances, we move through several chaturangas, to warm up our shoulders.  Before we balance, we find our base in the feel of our feet against the earth in tadasana.  Before we demand anything of our bodies, we prepare them. 

So what prepared us for yoga?  What in our lives or on our mats prepares us to return, again and again?

"What was your gateway pose?"

The hilarious thing is that, when asked this question, I don't even need to think about it: bakasana.  Crow.  Oh, that first of arm balances, how you taunted me!  I had taken a few yoga classes on and off for some time, and at one point dedicated myself to going every day for a month.  I just wanted to see what it could do for me, if I could get more flexible, if I could find the kind of meditative peace my other yoga-dedicated friends often talked about.  On my third day in, the instructor queued us into a yogi squat, then put her hands on the floor and simply.... levitated. 

That's the only word I have for it.  It looked like she floated up gently into the air, toes pointed behind her, gaze calmly forward.  She spoke for a while about the pose, all while maintaining that infuriating floatation, whole body light as a feather.

And I just wanted so badly to learn to fly. 

After that, I worked almost every practice on trying to just GET IT.  I wanted that pose so badly, and I always felt like I was getting closer and closer - not flying, not yet, but maybe at least falling with style. 

And then one day it just happened: I floated forward and shakily found myself inches off the ground.  When I fell out of it a few seconds later it didn't even matter, because for just a little bit, I was up. 

When I came back to practice the next day, all I could think was, "ok, so what's next?"  I was completely hooked. 

What was your gateway pose?  What kept you coming back to the mat again and again?  What keeps you coming back now?  Tell us!  

Have a great week yogis, and Namaste.