This is TRUE

Dear friends,

Fun fact about me: I used to be a Schwinn bicycle mechanic during the summers while I was in college. I was trained by Schwinn, received my mechanic certification, and worked at a local bike shop. I loved to assemble the new bicycles at the start of summer. I enjoyed the mechanical side of the work. I also enjoy assembling IKEA flat pack furniture, so what does that say about me!

Anyway, back in the late 70s and early 80s, people were riding touring 10-speed bikes with super light aluminum wheels. When wheels are perfectly round and spinning straight and warp-free, they said to be TRUE. Because those wheels were so lightweight, the aluminum rims were often misaligned after the rider hit a pothole or some sort of obstacle. Once the wheel was out of alignment, people would bring their bikes in for repair and I spent a lot of time truing wheels. I got pretty good at it. It wasn’t something that required extra strength, or putting tab A into slot B, but it was a delicate balance of tightening and loosening the spokes on first one side of the hub and then the other.

Eventually, the wheel would come back to true. The rider could saddle up and go again.

If you practiced with me last week, you may recall that we worked with the idea of bringing symmetry into the body. We found the midline and we moved about it both symmetrically and asymmetrically. It was an interesting practice. We checked in with our nervous system as we were in asymmetrical poses and then again when we brought everything back to the midline. I liked the feeling as I returned to that sense of symmetry.

As I was putting those sequences together, I was reminded of the idea of keeping the bicycle wheels TRUE.

There’s lots going on in the world today. Lots of potholes and obstacles in the road ahead. It’s very easy to become uneven, unstable, and out of alignment.

Yoga helps us to realign and I don't mean just physically. Yoga brings us back to our sense of self.

Often when I feel out of sorts, I head to my mat. It doesn’t take long to find myself there. It might be a few asanas or poses. It might be some even, slow breathing. Sometimes it’s a combination of both.

Eventually, I’m back to that sense of TRUE. My true self shines through again. I'm back on the road and ready to ride.

That's the power of our practice.

Please join me on your mat.

Love,

Nina G

PLEASE NOTE – For my friends that use my chair yoga videos, there's a new video coming out next week that explores this idea.

ALSO NOTE - I can't fix your bike. I am out of practice and don't have the proper tools. I can help you with yoga though!!