I have been really busy at work, and one thing that was constant, regular and calming was my 630am yoga class in a hot (40 degrees) room. The teachers are all my friends, and I can count on them to start my day off on the right note.

But on Weds, something went wrong. It shouldn’t. I had a good night sleep, my body felt fine and it felt like a normal 630am class. But you know what, by the third posture, I knew that my body wasn’t its usual compliant, positive self: it refused to fall gracefully into familiar postures as it normally does.

I began fighting my body’s recalcitrance. This made balancing poses impossible. Even my favourite posture, standing head to knee, eluded me completely. I began suffering from the heat and from muscle fatigue.

After class, I felt completely horrible, and throughout the day, I thought back to my struggles at the 630am yoga class. Why? What went wrong? I had enough sleep. I wasn’t tired. It wasn’t my time of the month. I was hydrated. I wasn’t distracted by work.

So what went wrong? Everything was as it should be…..but what went wrong????

I tormented myself about it. I thought about going back to the 8pm yoga class to figure it out. But then it occurred to me, hey, isn’t this what happens in real life? Sometimes, you try your best. Sometimes, you do everything right. Sometimes, things that are dead certain do not happen. Sometimes, life f*cks you up BIG TIME.

And there is sweet nothing you can do about it. Life is beyond our control, and that is the beauty (and suffering) of it.

A couple of days later, I spoke to my friend Marta who was teaching the class that I had such a terrible time in.

She looked at me with a smile and said, “Never mind, there’s always another chance.”

Always remember that – there is always a second chance in life ❤

Photo: 6pm yoga class at Bikram Yoga Canary Wharf.