December 14 - Jnana (Self-knowledge)

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Name something you did that was completely out of character. How did it feel?

This reverb11 prompt had me stumped for awhile. I don't do anything out of character, do I? Then I remembered the rainy weekend at the Wanderlust Festival in Vermont, and the Off the Mat, Into the World benefit class with Seane Corn and Michael Franti. And I remembered doing something that quiet me would never do.

I screamed.

It started at the class before, chanting and dancing with Suzanne Sterling, one of Seane Corn's partners in the Off the Mat, Into the World charity. I love to sing despite having a terrible singing voice, so I cherish the opportunity to chant with a big group. I feel high when my fifth Chakra opens. I was walking on clouds by the time I unrolled my mat among the hundreds on the floor in the OTM benefit class.

To practice yoga with Michael Franti singing live in the front of the room was incredible. We weren't really holding poses as much as dancing in them. Then Seane called for Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose). I lifted up off the floor, my head dropped back and my throat opened. And all the energy built up in my body flowed out in the form of a scream.

It wasn't an everybody-stopped-to-stare-at-me scream. The music was loud and Seane was yelling into her microphone to be heard. My scream blended into the din for everyone except perhaps those right next to me. But I knew I'd screamed. It was still buzzing in my body when I lowered myself back to the floor.

Michael Franti sang us into Savasana and I drifted into bliss.

One of my yoga students commented that, since coming back from Wanderlust, my Oms have really resonated. Perhaps my fifth Chakra is a bit more open now. Maybe the next scream won't be out of character at all.