Yoga Flame!

As much as I love me some Street Fighter, this post isn't about the game or Dhalsim (the character that says the title of this post as one of his patented lines). I just wanted a good title and that was the best I could come up with!!

This past weekend I was able to have my first fire of the summer. I suppose I could have had one before this weekend, but it just didn't happen for some reason.

To say I was excited was an understatement. I had talked with my wife the entire week leading up to that weekends events and the thing I was most anticipating was the fire. I told her repeatedly how excited I was to burn things (in the most non serial killer way possible).

On Sunday I ate, drank, and had a great time. It's always nice to spend the afternoon with friends and family talking over food and drink. It's relaxing and fun, I really did enjoy the day very much. I had told my wife that morning that I would not be drinking much during the day so that I could have my fire and not just set myself on fire. I chose to watch the fire and to not actually BE the fire.

When the sun started to show it's signs of setting? I noticed. Oh yes, I most definitely noticed.

When the clouds started to take on its well known pink, purple, and orange hues, I can't lie, I started to get very giddy inside. My time was approaching.

I was barely holding on at this point, fiending for my first fire since the beginning of October 2009. When the sun got even closer to the horizon and it's resting place until the next morning and the dark colors of night were creeping in from the opposite side of the sky I was ready.

That was all the waiting I could do. I had decided, "the time has come."

I gathered my kindling, my cardboard, paper, and small sticks. I got a little help setting up, but when the time to light it up came? That was all me.

I spend the first couple hours of the fire adding, moving, and poking at the fire. I am not a perfectionist in nearly any way, except for making and building my fire.

It's very calming to me. I could literally sit and have a fire all by myself. I really could.

Building the flames high, making them fiercely bright and incredibly hot.

After a while it gets to the point where the fire stays high and bright and I can finally sit.

Then comes my favorite part of having a fire. All the building and poking and prodding and just making the fire as perfect as I can.

When that time comes and I can sit, take my drink in my hand and just stare into the flames as they jump around, stealing the life of the wood.

I lose myself in them, it's my own personal form of therapy.