Outdoor yoga in a brewery's backyard

Ormond Beach Observer
Opinion

You have to be one with nature and that includes the ants.

There were a lot of things about Sunday’s yoga class that were different from the ones I normally take: it was outside, you have to bring your own mat and you get a beer afterwards courtesy of Ormond Brewing Company. One thing, however, remained the same: I was late.

Thankfully, rather than the eye roll my regular yoga teacher greets me with, Gina DelMonache of Lotus Yoga and Fitness gave me a smile that said “Don’t worry, I’ve been there.” The class started with a few simple moves that stretched out our backs and arms, and since I’m constantly typing while sitting in weird positions, this was something I desperately needed.

Being that the class was a part of Ormond Brewing Company’s Yoga and a Brew event, there were a few decently loud conversations happening around us. Though it erupted a few giggles when one possibly intoxicated woman screamed about finding a penny on the ground, the class went decently undisturbed. Honestly, I find the slight chaos a little more calming then forced silence. It makes it a little less embarrassing when unintentionally grunt during a difficult pose.

The only real distraction I found was the hundreds of ants that seemed to surround my mat. I don’t know if they were drawn to its vibrant pink color or if they just felt like messing with me, but I was fighting off ants for basically the entire time. But they were only black ants, so there was no real danger involved.

We ended the class laying on the ground for a period of deep breathing and relaxation. I started this pose by accidentally grabbing the foot of my yoga neighbor, Dave. Again Dave, my apologies. On an unrelated note, you have very smooth feet. Is there a cream you use? Where could I get some?

The weather was cooler than it has been recently, so the final relaxation period was easy to enjoy — even with a few ants attempting to crawl on my hand. That made me slighter hover my arms and shoulders over the ground, until DelMonache came over and pushed them back down; a gentle reminder that you have to be one with nature, even when it’s gross.