"Darling, the legs aren't so beautiful, I just know what to do with them." --Marlene Dietrich

Who knows whether it's Kundalini yoga or the fact I've been back into yoga for almost two years. (Maybe it's affected by summer, menopause, too many eclipses this year. Who knows with these things?)

Boat Pose does it. Chaturanga does it. Kundalini Frog does it. Lion Pose. Breath of Fire with any pose does it.

Whatever it is,  my practice is generating a kind of Marlene Dietrich, don't-mess-with-me-honey energy that rocks my little mat.

This week my lovely man met me on the stairs after my practice and suggested we do something lovely and romantic together. He may have tilted his head toward our room and lifted his eyebrows encouragingly, but he was also distracted by what looked like a receipt or something in his hand. With a formerly uncharacteristic blast of power from my chest and abdomen, I said, "Oh, honey, I like your offer, but I think you can do a lot better than that for this goddess." 

Channeling Marlene. It manifests in more direct eye contact, a greater certainty about what I want and don't want, and a delicious sense of power in my relationship to life in this universe. It smokes. (So did Marlene, in almost every existing photograph. Poor lungs.)

We talk often about yoga's value in calming us, in exploring peace and even tempers, in helping us relax into deep sleep at night.

I'm curious about what you've experienced on the other side, on the side of increased power and gutsy fire through yoga. I'll bet you have stories to tell, and poses that do it for you.

"Courage and grace are a formidable mixture." That's Marlene. She thought the combination only occurred in bullrings.

You shoulda tried yoga, honey.

Thanks to yoga for turning on the power.

Thanks to you for the conversation,

kristin

Dr. Kristin Shepherd is a chiropractor, actor, and speaker (About All Things Wonderful) in North Bay, Ontario.  Join her on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on iTunes.