Or not.  I’ve taken up yoga in my old age, both to complement tightness from running and to generally improve posture, breathing, awareness, and relaxation. Sure wish I’d started it about 20 years ago instead after I was 60. Still, 60 is better than 70. Yoga is one activity / philosophy that you can continue to practice as long as you can breathe, so I figure it’s time to get going on it.

The headstand still needs some work, but it’s coming along. [Click for a larger view, if you promise not to laugh.]  Got a little cocky this morning, let my concentration slip for a millisecond or two, and fell out of it. Typically when that happens you just pull your legs down and do a backwards roll. Problem is that at my age, my inner ears don’t recover as quick as they used to, and I stay queasy for a few minutes. This is also the reason I had to give up roller coasters and probably wouldn’t be any too great as a fighter pilot, either. That and other things.

There are deep parallels between yoga and Boyd’s framework and not just the emphasis on flexibility. In fact, Boyd hardly ever mentions “flexibility” — once in Patterns, on chart 149, for example. Even “flexible” only shows up twice in Patterns, on charts 88 and 128. Somehow, though, you know that Boyd and flexibility are intimately related, but that’s not exactly the connection I have in mind.

More on this later. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts on the subject, please jump in. By the way, I don’t have any information that Boyd ever practiced yoga himself or read much about it. He did take up power walking after he moved to Delray Beach. He also claimed to have a pet alligator.

Namaste.