Poem: With Each Pose by Mark Tulin

I come to the mat humble, born into this life with a single heartbeat.

Legs folded, palms facing up, clarity comes to me when I am open to receive.

Wisdom and knowledge I seek
with each wave of movement, in each new but familiar pose.

Standing straight or on one leg, I reach for the sky
and smile in the face of discomfort.

The closer I move toward balance,
the more I feel united by the spirit of my internal life.

Some days, I float effortlessly with strength in my hands,
other times, I lean back to stabilize and restore.

I close my eyes to the rest of the world and listen to the soothing sounds of my breath.