I hate to admit it, but money is a good motivator for me to exercise. If I have paid for something in advance I will be there because I don't want to waste what I've paid for. It has kept me going for the past two years in pole classes, and so this week I paid for a 10 week yoga course, to motivate me to leave my desk at least once a week, and at the same time improve my flexibility.
So at 11:50 on Wednesday I headed to the yoga room in the third building. Apparently nobody arrives early for yoga, as when I got there I was alone and it was a good five minutes before the teacher even got there.
I grabbed a mat from the corner and instantly knew that was a bad decision, but there was no going back. It smelled as though the sweat of fifty different people had all come together for a party on the mat, got drunk and then seeped into the fibre a of the mat where they will stay for eternity. In short, it smelt disgusting. Downward dogs, though the easiest position and the transition position became my worst nightmare for the duration of the class as I inhaled the sweat of yoga-sters gone by.
The class started and I immediately remembered why I have a strong dislike for stretching. I'm sweet with the end result, more flexibility and freedom of movement... But I don't like being in a prolonged position of pain, and that's how I've always seen stretching.
I overlooked that for this class though. I convinced myself that no matter how much I hated it, I would love it.
My legs started shaking more and more as I went on, to the point where I was doing the "less hard" versions of all the stretches by the end. This didn't do much for my self confidence but knew if I had thought it would be easy I wouldn't have tried it in the first place.
Looking around I could tell who we're the seasoned pros and who were newbies like me. I secretly felt a bit better seeing one of the other girls struggling just a tiny bit more than me, and thanked god I knew some basic yoga poses from my pole classes.
The thing that let me down the most in the class though was my breathing. And by let me down I mean I didn't do it at all. I'm usually pretty good at multitasking, but trying to have relaxing constant breaths while balancing on one leg leaning forward with your arms in the air, isn't really my forte! I was all too aware that I was struggling to breathe when the instructor came over and reminded me to breathe. As kind as it was, it didn't really help.
When it got to the part at the end when you get to just lie back and breathe I was in my element. Doing nothing was way easier, and the more the instructor softly told us to breathe in and out, the more relaxed I got, to the point where if she hadn't said: "sit up slowly now" I would have actually fallen asleep. I wished the whole class could have been like that, though I'm not sure I'd like to pay just to have a nap at work.
As much as I struggled with it I am glad I am trying it. I haven't noticed a huge change in my flexibility yet, but it's only four weeks in, and we haven't been doing a lot in the areas I need to stretch, but I'm sure that will come. Before any of that happens though I need to learn how the hell to breathe!
I'm pumped though, and because I like the idea of Yoga but think it could be more interesting I have booked into an acro yoga class this Sunday. Can't wait to have to attempt to balance while also holding someone else up in the air! Should be fun!
If you really want an interesting read about yoga you should check out Muthu's blog.
http://yoyoyogaa.blogspot.com.au/
Oh and if you are keen to try it for yourself... Take your own mat!
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| Artist's interpretation of me inhaling sweat fumes |
Yoga 7/10
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