Apres Yoga

I tried to stay awake last night for the election results, but it was looking grim and I couldn’t bear to watch! Earlier in the evening I went to a seafood restaurant called Honest nearby, and it felt like I was on vacation. Filled with plants and nautical decor, dimly lit by candles and a friendly waitress who made every dish sound scintillating. I sat next to two older men, one of whom was celebrating his birthday. He was hoping for a Kamala win, and said that Trump was a vile human being whose words about women were beyond belief. Of course I joined in the conversation and we spoke of those who turn a blind eye to his vitriol, instead aligning with fear-based thinking, the alienation of outsiders, and bowing to the almighty dollar. As long as the economy is churning like a well-oiled machine, who cares about human decency, dignity, or green spaces?

I woke up and the first thing I said was, “Hey Google, who won the election?” and there was an imaginary drum roll as Google responded, “The winner of the 2024 American Election is….” Ahhhhh. I can’t even complete the sentence.

At least the late night comics will have four more years of material, and I’m already trying to write jokes for my open mic tomorrow night. My colleague’s kid, overhearing his parents chatting this morning, thought that Donald Duck had won the election, and started making duck noises thinking it was funny. If Donald Duck had won, there would be less of a quack in the White House!

At least this time around I’m not totally depressed because the world was already too shocking anyway. As the Indian sage Patanjali says, when all else fails…. there is yoga.

I’m wearing my purple Apres Yoga sweatshirt today… going to a yin yoga class soon at the studio down the street from me. To Breathe In, and then out. Because we still breathe while we are alive, regardless of what is happening around us. And to be alive is always a great thing.

I checked out the Toronto Biennial art festival this afternoon.. it was on the top floor of a modern brick building, with indigenous art, statement pieces, and my favourite was actually the views of the city and the way the sun poured down through cloud openings over industrial buildings. The skyline view was beautiful and a glimpse of the lake made it all feel serene. I grabbed coffee at a gorgeous cafe with large art pieces and a bicycle hanging from the ceiling – they were about to close but they welcomed me and even gave me a mug so I could take my time. On my way home, I visited my favourite craft shop, with the kind lady from Malaysia who asked how my summer was, and I forgot because it was so long ago. Although today felt like summer so maybe it was closer than it seemed.