mmmm..chocolate coca-cola cake

Atlanta was such an awesome trip. It was difficult to leave Tom and Gracie, I cried as I pulled out of the driveway thinking about how much I would miss them and feeling anxious about the drive and really not knowing what to expect. I am so glad I trudged through those difficult moments and left. While I’m sure it doesn’t impress many people, I am darn proud of myself for driving to Atlanta alone. I gave myself a pat on the back each time another lane of traffic was added as I approached the city limits. I really enjoyed the entire 6 ½ hour drive. It was nice to have that much time to myself. Once I arrived at the monastery, a gate marked the entrance to the campus. It was so quiet and peaceful as I drove through the gates. Huge trees and a pond and a small garden invited contemplation. I walked into the guest house and was pleasantly greeted by Charlotte, a volunteer who gave me the key to my room. I arrived around 4 pm and vespers began at 5:30 with dinner immediately following. I unpacked and settled in and attended vespers. It was awkward, as I was unfamiliar with the service, but I truly enjoyed it. The dining room is silent, and so I ate in silence with 20 or so other guests. This too was a new experience for me. At first, I had a nervous grin as I sat down to eat, but by the end of the meal I was more comfortable. After dinner, we had orientation and our first yoga session at 6:30. During this time we met one another as well as the two leaders, Scott, a graduate student with a more traditional background of yoga who is studying how yoga and Christianity relate, and Dayna, an English teacher for 22 years who began instructing yoga about 3 or 4 years ago. We also met Fr. Tom Francis, 78, a monk for 54 years, who began studying yoga alone around 30 years ago when a Time magazine showed up at the Monastery with stick figures illustrating yoga poses. All three teachers worked incredibly well together. They had very different backgrounds and experiences and approaches to yoga that offered a well rounded opportunity for the rest of us.

After the retreat, I drove up to the North side of Atlanta to meet and visit with a friend. I really enjoyed the chance to “catch up” with Billie and we had a nice dinner. It rained all the way home on Monday, but for lunch I stopped in Montgomery at Cracker Barrel for sweet tea, baked chicken, cornbread stuffing, green beans and chocolate coca-cola cake and that made up for the rain.