"I am standing in the heavenly crown stance. I must stand up straight, breathe deeply and measuredly, and circulate qi. And develop flexibility, balance, and concentration. And by making me stand upside down, you are showing me that true power and wisdom can be achieved through hard work ...
As I waited there in expectation of that moment, I thought how, of the lovely flowers that grew there, I would wind myself a chaplet and crown myself for joy: I would sing sul margine d’un rio, my father’s favourite song, and that my voice gliding through the windless air would...