By Sue Eisenfeld
“Mmm hmmm,” Jennifer murmurs every so often during her Hatha All Levels class on Zoom one Friday morning. She’s watching us on screen. She’s vocalizing the deliciousness I feel on the other side of the camera, this vital opportunity to connect and move around in the way that I used to, Before. “Take your time,” she’ll say while we’re transitioning into or out of a warrior pose. “Mmm hmmm,” she’ll repeat, seeing us do just that, easing into the shapes we remember but perhaps have neglected in the recent weeks.
Familiarity—a balm. But she also introduces surprise. A new pose I’ve never done! A core strengthener, a sacrum adjuster, a hip flexor releaser, all in one. And, there’s a new yogic method, too: “Build your standing pose from the feet up,” she teaches: feet, arms, head. How did I miss this lesson over all my years of practice? Somehow she seems to know exactly my problem areas and missing links, offering solutions with soothing calmness. “Mmm hmmm”: like the bite of a chocolate chip cookie just out of the oven, the spine popping back into alignment, a backbend facing into the light, reminding me it’s great to be alive and agile and well.