They told me that yoga means to yoke or to unite
that we attempt to bring light to our very human beings
to trying seeing the divine within ourselves.
That yogis work to surge one with the other.
Well, I thought, I’m SCREWED
there is no glue strong enough to
bring the broken pieces of MYSELF together
much less try and progress them towards the divine
But I guess I can try.
So, imagine my surprise when I found that
this strange semi-silent dance would not only bring
the cracked-tattered shards of my body and mind whole,
but that it would give me a chance to see the light in
each limb
That when I go into tadasana, I am reminded
that I am part of this earth, that all 4 corners
of my being and soul are part of something
much larger than myself
my beautiful flawed humanity connects the earth
through my feet and the sky with my turned in pinkies
I hinge forward, and I humble myself
to the process I am about to undergo, before
I flow up again, bring my spine strong and straight,
the back that will try and lift up another generation
closer to the sky is flat so they may find their footing.
Then, I fall forward again, with the realization that no one
carries this world on their own.
I plant my palms and step back, and align my body,
with the earth. Chatturanga dandasana,
A sure-straight arrow. I lengthen
my neck away from the fingers that once wrapped around it, a reminder that no one owns this body but myself.
I lower down on arms that were once unable to do a single push up,
but no carry me me as I flip me feet over into upward facing dog. I drop
hips that, 2 years ago, cracked as they bounced off the hood of
a moving car on an LA street carrying my body floating along with it,
and the doctors told me I would never be the same again
They were right.
As I shine my chest forward to the world, showing
anyone who has once tried to reach in and take piece of
my heart that you may make me cry but you will never
scare me so much that I will squirrel away my love. I will
burst it open to the world around me instead, in hopes of
multiplying my blessings and opening, like a lotus blossom out
of the darkness.
Finally, I pull these once broken hips to the air, a trophy of
what I have asked this body to do, and it has answered. I plant
my palms into solid earth and spread my toes wide. I imagine myself
like a starfish clinging to the underside of a glass-bottom boat, looking
at the world around, and it hits me: that even when my world is literally turned
upside down and my gaze turned all around, I need only spread my toes
and smile, inhale, exhale out anything that no longer serves me.
Inhale and feel blessed at the new perspective I have been given.

(Christina Torres) Wrote this for my CPY TT final exhibition. So much love beyond words to these amazing ladies and gent. So incredibly blessed.