DAZED AND CONFUSED

I got back into Chicago late last night and unearthed my car from beneath a pile of snow so that I can teach at 6:30AM today.

The cat did only minor damage in my absence.

I can't begin to describe the teacher training. Suffice to say it's exactly what I'd hoped it would be, and more.

It ended on Saturday but I went back on Sunday -- braving the F-train's bizarre weekend schedule -- and took a class with Dharma's head teacher. We did poses I've never even heard of. But that's the least of it.

I disappeared last week because I quit Brooklyn and moved into the Hotel 17 -- just around the corner from the yoga center -- with Paula-from-Argentina.

The extra hours of sleep came in handy. But there was no internet access.

Nor did we ever watch TV or see a newspaper.

No mirrors, except in the bowels of the dressing room.

All of the classes were face-to-face, with us taking notes with pen-on-paper.

The test was like that too.

And we in a safe place, around people who wanted us to succeed.

When I had to teach a Level II in front of Dharma, everyone helped me. It was a collective effort.

After the final goodbye, Erin-from-Long Island and I walked outside. It was Saturday night in NYC, and the streets were full of people.

We were dazzled and a little frightened to be let out into the big wide world.

Now the real yoga begins.