This happened a little while ago but I retold the story yesterday and thought to share it here.
There are a lot of reasons people do yoga. I started because I found it less boring than running on the machines at the gym. I joined Gold’s Gym after my 52 year old sister had a big heart attack. Signing on in a panic about cardiovascular health. But the elliptical was dull business even with a book on tape plugged into my ears and beefalos who couldn’t put their arms down for comic views. I started yoga. There are a few things that hooked me in, that combination of strength and a grace to the poses and the poses that feel like you are learning to do playful tricks with your body, something I have enjoyed since a kid. So I kept at it for the joy of doing it. After my mom died I started a daily practice and it was then I realized that yoga had another interesting effect.
I was cooking and spilled water on the ceramic top electric stove. I took a cloth to sop it up. I was busy with something so I stuck a pan on top to tamp it down in stead of wiping it up. I’ll bet you can see what is coming. Soon there was something which needed a burner turned on and of course the wrong burner was turned to high and I went on chopping.
In a short time I noticed smoke and realized from the glowing orange under the towel that this wasn’t good. Upon lifting the pan the smoking cotton piece alit. At this point I looked at the mess and thought hmmm what to do and turn on the pullout spray faucet in the direction of the flames. It didn’t quite reach to do it quickly enough and made enough smoke now to set off the detector. Lots of noise and I am still calmly thinking oh this isn’t working as well as I would like. Christopher I think at this point was a little frustrated with me. Thankfully he went in high gear and pulling out tongs to put the smoking towel into the pan, douse it good and bring the now pillared with smoke kettle to the deck.
Later I was astounded with the calm through all of this where a few years ago I would have been panicky but also quicker on the draw to do something! I think this change in my brains reactions, this placid detachment is likely all due to yoga. It is really helpful when someone at work is about to pop a cork about their computer but I’d better be much more careful in the kitchen.