Respects to Yoga

I have always wondered how yoga actually got people in shape.  I knew it was a way to work on your flexibility and breathing/relaxation, but I never really got it.  Until last night!  I had tried the "at home" videos and such with friends and even the TV shows on the FIT TV channel, but it just never really worked for me.  I usually ended up doing some completely different pose, giggling at the way the goofy lady told me to breathe and stretch in awkward poses.  Laughing at myself does not equal relaxation and flexibility.

So last night, a friend of mine asked if I wanted to join her in the yoga class taught here on campus for free even.  I didn't think I would get much of a work out from it, so I went to the gym ahead of time and ran for half an hour before class, thinking if nothing else.... It was going to be a good stretch for my post-short-cardio work out.  Little did I know, it actually made me sweat.  And I am even sore today!  The class is taught by a guy even.  One that looks like a body builder, who you would never picture as a yoga instructor.  And after only 20 minutes of him taking us through some kind of "series" of poses and breathing, I was beginning to wonder if I would actually make it through the rest of the hour!  (No worries, I did!)

Strangely enough, after doing so much of this pose:

(downward-facing dog)

... My shoulders started to hurt and all I wanted to do.... was this pose instead:

(Child's pose)
I know you like her leg warmers.  That's why I chose these pictures ;)

I used to think I had good balance... til I tried a real yoga class!  By the end of the class, I think my feet were cramping from wobbling every time I tried to balance.  There are just some things that should not be possible on one foot.  Like this one:

 Needless to say, I need to work on being flexible enough to bend over like that.... But even trying to balance enough to hold one foot directly out in front of me?  It's harder than it looks!  Trust me, try it! :)











 Granted, those are extremely basic, and only small steps in the actual work out and series that he took us through.  I would show you more.... But I can't remember the names of any of them for the life of me.

But I honestly do have a new respect for yoga.  My shoulders, and lower back are sore today and I am surprised, and think that if I continued going to classes, I wouldn't be disappointed like I was with the videos and such that I had tried before.  However, I did also realize how much of a beginner I really am.  By the end of class, when the instructor asked us to do something that looked like this:

I was very content to keep all 4's on the floor, look up, and thank Heaven's that I wasn't the only person in the class not capable of attempting it. there were plenty people falling over because they had tried it, and then the 1 or 2 people that were able to actually do it without falling on their face. I just sat there and wondered how in the world someone has the strength, balance, and flexibility to actually pull that off?!?!  Not this girl!  Maybe when I was 8 and in gymnastics!

I really think the benefits of going to a class with an instructor are pretty obvious now that I have actually gone.  Not only can he go through beginner, intermediate, and advanced poses to suit everyone's needs... But he also came around and told you what you were doing wrong, gave you ways to modify poses to make them harder or easier for yourself. 

Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed yoga, and got quite the work out!