Bums on the Hill

On my lunch break yesterday I headed over to Parliament Hill to visit the cats again. But I got distracted by the sight of hundreds of bums up in the air on the front lawn of the Peace Tower.

Upon closer inspection, I recognized those bums as Downward Dog yoga bums.

This of course got me reflecting on my yoga days at the Plant Recreation Centre, when the hot male yoga instructor got us all into Downward Dog pose and then said “Imagine your anus opening up like a flower.”

The Yoga on the Hill class was led by a man with a megaphone, and he didn’t mention anuses or flowers. But he didn’t have to: I will never again see anyone in the Downward Dog pose without thinking of their anus, and mine, opening up like a flower. It’s a curse. And it’s contagious, so you probably have it now too.

Not all yoga poses are equally glamorous. This one, for instance, lacks a certain elegance and dignity.

It’s nice living in Canada, where hundreds of people can simultaneously strike a Warrior pose on the front lawn of our government’s legislative buildings without getting arrested and incarcerated on suspicion of terrorism.

Not everybody can fold themselves completely in half, but some people can.

It helps if you have a helper.

More bums.

This is called the Corpse pose. It’s a terrible name, but it does feel good at the end of a yoga workout.

I thought the Peace Tower looked unusually good, basking in its yoga afterglow with that cool cloud behind it.

I really love Canada.