The Perfect Nap

I've met people who didn't' like napping. Most of the time I had trouble relating to them but it didn't mean we couldn't be friends or lovers. Just that most of the time they had generalized issues with sleeping that I've never experienced.

Usually I have no issues napping whatsoever. I love a good afternoon sleep. I am positive that I was once a lion (or possibly still am). For instance, this weekend I had a divine nap. This was a nap of the most perfect sort. Perfect length, perfect conditions, perfect outage of my brain. Allow me to elaborate (hey, it's my blog so I can elaborate all I want)...

On Saturday I had the type of day that comes along once in a blue moon. The type where you are out all day and managed to think of everything you'd need to have with you if you were gone all day doing a variety of activities. If I had made a list and checked it twice I'd still have forgotten something but somehow on this day I did not. I taught yoga, had a haircut, practiced yoga in a 3-hr 'hip opener' workshop, volunteered as a sous chef for my friend's pre-Mother's Day dinner, attended the quintessential beach bonfire gathering and bar-hopped in Laguna Beach until last call. Left home at 9am and got home at 2am. Somehow I managed to make it through this day without exhaustion, with a smile on my face and with a generally good vibe. Was it because I intended for it to be so?

Yes. However I also believe it was because of my perfect nap. The perfect nap wipes out all stray vessels in it's wake. It's like the perfect storm except instead of destruction it brings peace of mind. The perfect nap and the perfect storm both leave a calm after they pass. They both leave a sense of 'wiped out' thought where what was in place previously doesn't seem to matter so much. And both involve a deep sense of awe.

My nap took place post-teaching and pre-practicing yoga. I had 20 minutes to kill before my workshop. I was in Newport Beach, CA on a sunny balcony. On a warm bench. In my comfortable yoga clothes. I was tired from teaching but more mentally then physically. And I had the perfect length of time if I could pass out immediately. Which I did. I used my rolled up yoga mat as a pillow and put my yoga towel over my eyes to keep the strong California sunshine off my eyelids. I started to think how warm it was in the corner nook of the balcony I was in and .... zzzzzz.

I awoke, with no other recollections or disturbances, exactly 1 minute prior to the start of the workshop. I got up with almost no grogginess, walked into the workshop and eased my way into 180 minutes of hip opening. We eased into it both mentally and physically which really was the perfect end-cap to my nap.

I've had a few other naps that come close to this one but not quite as blissful albeit very memorable.

• I fell asleep after a LA to NY red-eye on a bench in the ritzy area of 79th and 5th Ave on the upper East side of Manhattan (5th ave borders central park). But I was woken up by a rude old lady who wanted to sit on the bench I was keeping so nice and warm. Crazy lady.
• A quality snooze in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, France. I was again rudely awakened by a police officer who told me I couldn't sleep in the park. What else is a park for?!
• I believe I fell asleep on a beach cove at the Sydney zoo but I couldn't tell you where or for how long.

The rest is a blur. I was sleeping after all! But the Perfect Nap seemed somehow blog-worthy. It was a happy day. That's worth notating in any form.