Decanting Communties

I didn’t know Plainfield Illinois had it in them. I didn’t know I had it in me. 

I haven’t seen my dear friend Maggie in awhile. We met in St. Louis Missouri. She moved to Oswego Illinois. We haven’t lived in the same community for the last 2 years but as a fellow dietitian we have an understanding.

She made some awesome food, I brought a bottle of cab and some music and we got to talking. 

We retreated to her basement bar to eat. It was colder down there and closer to the built in wine cellar. I popped Regina Spektor’s live album into her computer, she decanted my dry red, and we all took a breath. Including the wine. 

Now that I’m in the north, we can spend time catching up. The wine drinking went on as long as our catch up. And we certainly had a lot to catch up on. 2.5 bottles worth. Ouch.  

We chatted about a lot. About faith. And organized religion. And the comfort in a community with similar beliefs.

Beliefs in dietetics? Beliefs in Roman Catholicism? Beliefs in northern Illinois nature?

Then the wine caught up. And it was best I spend the night. 

2am guest bedroom. 6:15am wake up call. 7am Bikram yoga in Plainfield Illinois. 

After registering as a first time Bikram Yogi, I breathlessly cantered over to my rented white, towel mat in the hot studio.

I always imagined these studios to look like saunas inside. Flames around the studios’ perimeter. The devil ordering uniformed body holds. You know.

Kind of different than imagined. But maybe not by far.

The studio was carpeted. Lights were bright. The yoga instructor announced me as Bikram newbie.  

It was my solo journey into a community of similar belief. I like the yoga community but each studio has a particular vibe. That truly accepting yoga vibe or that “I can so hold warrior 2 better. Oh! I can’t believe you stumbled out of tree pose. I’m going to keep looking ahead at the mirror like I’m an accepting yogi but inside I’m celebrating this victory!” vibe.

The instructor shared a story of the studio’s creation.

She got a UTI during the first week it opened. (I’m certain worsened by dampness and dehydration).

She did not seek medical help. (standard yogi).

She did seek over the counter UTI medicine that turns your urine neon orange. (azo). 

We put faith into practices regardless of evidence but this incident led to the instructor’s proof in Bikram’s ability to detoxify the body. She stated that Bikram alleviates the kidneys-the decanting system of our blood-by purging toxins directly through our skin. And when neon orange azo bled through her pores onto her white towel yoga mat, it solidified her belief!

As if the Cabernet hadn’t dried me up enough-26 poses later I drenched my clothes with what was left. And I was waiting to see the red wine sediment "pore-d" out on that white towel mat.

Proof that I had survived. Or was reborn. Sober.

Not sure about where I stand. Any day.

Not sure how well my body was standing. Today.

Not sure my body's ability to hold tree pose. Today or tomorrow.

But sure that my body did trigger the feeling of thirst-a signal to rescue my kidneys. 

I climbed back into my Honda. Popped Regina Spektor into my car’s disk deck. She sang to my soul. She poured her heart out. And she told me: “I’ve got a perfect body, but sometimes I forget. I’ve got a perfect body, ‘cause my eyelashes catch my sweat. Yes they do. They do.”

A Little Regina Religion