
So a couple of weeks ago I went to my first yoga class with one of my friends. She had made an open invitation on social media asking if anyone wanted to join with her on Wednesday night at the gym. Thinking that this would be a cool experience to have with other yoga students, I accepted her offer. Right away I was excited, while at the same time didn't know what to expect in class that evening.
I have had some yoga experience. Well, very little experience. Years ago I had bought a yoga DVD that catered toward weight loss and gave it a whirl. I have done about 20 minutes of the DVD and felt myself having become so drained. I had been discouraged about the DVD because most of the poses/stretching were done from a chair, rather than on a mat. I had not given it a chance since then. That is, until this year. While on a crochet date with another friend at the bookstore, I had bought a 5-minute yoga book that offered several sequences that were to help in a variety of things, including weight loss and focus. I had done some of the sequences in the book while playing some soft music in the background to give the vibe of peace and relaxation.
Back to the yoga class with my friend. I got to the gym about a half hour before class started and met with my friend, who was with one of her friends also going to the yoga class. I was nervous about taking the class at that point because I knew that there would be students who probably had practiced yoga for a long time, but my friend reassured me that I would like the class and that I didn't have to be perfect with the poses. We go into the classroom and the lights are already dimmed down and the music was playing, giving that ambiance of peace and tranquility. The instructor explained yoga to the class and reiterated the importance of listening to our bodies: if we felt discomfort, modify the pose. We had our mats ready and began the class.
Some things that I realized as I was going through the class:
1. I am not flexible. I was very thankful for the ability to modify poses, but I knew one day that I wanted to master the poses exactly.
2. I am a very tense person. Even as the instructor was telling the class to relax, I found it a challenge to do. This is probably because I feel that I have to be "alert" at all times. I realized that this was something that I needed to work on.
I enjoyed the class so much that I have decided to make it a routine in addition to my diet and exercise (cardio). I'm really excited about it!
I have had some yoga experience. Well, very little experience. Years ago I had bought a yoga DVD that catered toward weight loss and gave it a whirl. I have done about 20 minutes of the DVD and felt myself having become so drained. I had been discouraged about the DVD because most of the poses/stretching were done from a chair, rather than on a mat. I had not given it a chance since then. That is, until this year. While on a crochet date with another friend at the bookstore, I had bought a 5-minute yoga book that offered several sequences that were to help in a variety of things, including weight loss and focus. I had done some of the sequences in the book while playing some soft music in the background to give the vibe of peace and relaxation.
Back to the yoga class with my friend. I got to the gym about a half hour before class started and met with my friend, who was with one of her friends also going to the yoga class. I was nervous about taking the class at that point because I knew that there would be students who probably had practiced yoga for a long time, but my friend reassured me that I would like the class and that I didn't have to be perfect with the poses. We go into the classroom and the lights are already dimmed down and the music was playing, giving that ambiance of peace and tranquility. The instructor explained yoga to the class and reiterated the importance of listening to our bodies: if we felt discomfort, modify the pose. We had our mats ready and began the class.
Some things that I realized as I was going through the class:
1. I am not flexible. I was very thankful for the ability to modify poses, but I knew one day that I wanted to master the poses exactly.
2. I am a very tense person. Even as the instructor was telling the class to relax, I found it a challenge to do. This is probably because I feel that I have to be "alert" at all times. I realized that this was something that I needed to work on.
I enjoyed the class so much that I have decided to make it a routine in addition to my diet and exercise (cardio). I'm really excited about it!