Denver, CO - Yoga at Red Rock Amphitheater

With each breath, I moved my body—awkward at times as I lifted my leg or pointed my toe. I tilted my head at odd angles to peek at the giant screen displaying our instructors.

My friend Mo, beside me, looked equally concerned with each movement. For a moment, I looked around at the towering red rocks on each side and the 1,000 people stretched out around us, moving in sync. From novices to experts, we had all come together as one.

As the instructor’s voice boomed through the amphitheater, “Now back into warrior,” I grounded my body and began again.

When I first asked Mo if she’d like to do this, I imagined an easy workout—thinking yoga couldn’t be that difficult. Yet there I stood, sweat beading on my skin, out of my depth, yet right at home. A beginner in movement, but at home in the mountains. Clumsy in form, but grounded in something greater. The gentle breeze caressed my face, the red rocks enveloped me, and as I breathed in the mountain air, I carried on.

Experiencing something new is exhilarating. And as we laid on our backs—in supine position—the sky a bright blue and the sun now higher in the sky, I felt grounded. Our instructor closed out the moment by reminding us to look within, to feel the ground beneath our bodies, and to be fully present. I hadn’t realized all that I had bundled up—now a tangled mess of tight threads trying to unravel. A single tear slid down my face as I released the worries and burdens tied within those threads.

As we sat up and began rolling our yoga mats, I looked at Mo and, with a smile, said, “I didn’t realize how much I needed that. Also, yoga is not easy.” She laughed and agreed as we made our way back to the car.

Next stop: Garden of the Gods.

Recommendations

• Yoga on the Rocks at Red Rock Amphitheater.

• Garden of the Gods