Yoga with an Attitude

I would say that the major change in my fitness routine this past year was incorporating yoga on a regular basis. I have dabbled in yoga for probably the past 10 years, but never could make a commitment. But 2015 marked the beginning of my yoga adventures. I have done yoga once or twice a week on a regular basis. The benefits I had read about yoga included better posture, stronger bones, increased strength, better flexibility, improvements in balance, and stress reduction. I would say truthfully that I have experienced at least some strides in all of these areas. My favorite part of yoga, however is the peaceful atmosphere that I experience in my yoga classes.

When I walk into a yoga class, I look forward to the calmness in the room, the gentle voice of the yoga instructor, and the quiet commitment of the participants in the room. Thus, I have been rather taken aback by several recent yoga classes that I have attended. Over the weekend, I attended a very crowded class, where the instructor informed us that we needed to get as close together as possible so that everyone would have a space. There were probably 40 of us in a pretty small room. I was okay with this, as I assumed that everyone would understand the situation and be focused on the moment. To my surprise, people all around me were complaining that they could not do yoga in such an environment. "I can't do this", one woman said, and left the class after five minutes. Other people left as well, apparently frustrated by the smaller space that they were allotted. Although I was initially challenged by the space issue, I found that it made me really focus on the words of the instructor, and the poses. I actually did the best tree pose that I have ever done!

Then, two days later, I attended my regular Monday yoga class that gets my week off to a good start. To my dismay, my regular instructor was not there and the substitute was an instructor at my gym that I have previously referred to as the "drill instructor". In a different class that she taught, she would bark orders and get upset with me when I was unable to replicate her perfect movements. (or so it seemed to me). So here I was in my favorite weekly yoga class with the sergeant. As the hour progressed, I realized that she was truly challenging me with a fast paced, flow yoga fitness class. I didn't know that I could do all of the things that I did, and felt empowered by the end of the class! The drill sergeant had inspired me!

What I am learning about yoga is that I can usually gain something satisfying from almost any class that I attend. (the one exception being the really goofy instructor that I once had!). I think that yoga is the best way for me to totally focus and be in the moment. I am not always successful in keeping all of my stressful thoughts out of my mind during a yoga class, but I am getting better at it. And I always feel wonderful after I have completed a class. If you have never tried yoga, I would recommend trying at least one or two classes. You may enjoy an hour or two a week of quiet introspection, and improve your physical fitness at the same time!