LINO IS MAGIC






Today's practice was a bit easier, after yesterday's rest. I could breathe.... most of the time.

Plus a miracle happened.

I was in the front row, and Lino was doing dropbacks with the person on my right. I had just finished my five backbends.

It was the exact same setup - front row, Lino on my right, just finished five backbends - as the first time I stood up from backbend in Mysore in 2004 (after three weeks prepping with Lino in Kovalam).

Something clicked in my head this morning: Lino is here and can help you psychically. It's now or never.

I bounced a couple of times and stood up like it was nothing.

But the heart was racing. It took some time to slow it down.

I waited, palms in prayer, and collected my breath as tears streamed down my cheeks.

Lino went to the back of the room.

And I thought again, "It's now or never."

So I dropped back. And stood up.

Three times. One. Two. Three.

Like it was nothing.

It's something I thought I would never, ever do again. Ever.

I stood there with arms crossed over chest - the universal symbol for "I'm ready for my dropback, Mr. DeMille" - and the tears of gratitude kept a-coming.

When Lino came to help me with the final dropback, I said,

"It's a miracle."

He looked around. "God is here?"

"Well, yes," I said.

"But I stood up from backbend - and dropped back three times!" I continued.

"What you lose, it always comes back," he explained, and made gestures indicating that the losing it part is a struggle, but is something we must all go through and isn't permanent.

"I thought that was gone forever," I said. "I thought my body was finished."

"You are young. You are strong," he said, as I crossed my arms over my chest and he helped me drop back.

And I believed him.



* * *



When we finished, and I stood up and hugged him for real (not my usual stand-offish A-frame version of a hug) and said "Thank you," I meant it from the bottom of my heart.

How giving (and forgiving) this practice is.

And how wonderful its teachers.

Vande Gurnam indeed.

















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Photo of CK and Lino in Kovalam (c) 2002 by Randy Parrish.