Yoga = calm?

Tonight I went to my first group class as the gym. Yoga. Should have been easy. It wasn’t easy, but it was good.

I took my first Yoga class about 6 years ago at West Valley and another semester’s worth at SJSU. Since then I have off and on taken classes with friends at various gyms. So the principles of yogic breathing and moving through postures are not foreign to me.

Tonight’s instructor was amazing!! She was very sweet. At the beginning of the class she looked me in the eye then walked over to introduce herself, since I was obviously new to her class. How amazing that a woman who teaches at more than one gym, and probably sees over 200 people through her classes each week, was able to see the new face in the room and take the time. Later when she came through and gave me a pointer for my posture she used my name. Again after class she found me and asked how I felt and invited me back to her class. Just this part of the experience alone has made me decide that Yoga just might be my new Wednesday activity for the foreseeable future.

The workout itself was great! We worked our way through the postures in a different pattern than what I was used to, but underneath it all the postures were the same. At some points we sped it up and moved through it all very quickly. And at other times (typically right when I needed it) we slowed it back down.

My body feels stretched from tip to top! I think that this class will massively aid in achieving some improved flexibility. And balance! It takes an immense amount of balance to have one foot and one palm on the floor while your other leg points to the ceiling and your other arm is stretched in front of you. Are you trying it yet? Good now hold for about thirty seconds while also taking very deep breaths and feeling the breath move through your throat into your chest and ultimately into your abdomen. Exhale slowly. Feel your breath leave that same path, your navel moves toward your spine, the air moves up, and slowly out of your mouth. How’s that’s feel? Though I had some teetering moments I was able to feel that I stayed up with my classmates.

And for the record I did feel calm throughout it all and afterwards. It is such a great workout in a quiet way so your brain does have the ability to calm a little. You are not watching the tv, or the person on the bike next to you. There is no clanking of weights. Just the instructor’s voice, breathing and some “white noise” type of music.

The end result of this evening was a great workout and a lot of sweat. I have never sweat so much during Yoga. And I was not doing “hot” yoga. I will definitely be back next week!