About a month ago, a girl who sits next to me in my morning lecture turned around and asked if I wanted to go to hot yoga with her later that day. My first instinct was to reject the offer, seeing as how I haven’t gone to a yoga class in two years, and being trapped in an oven for an hour seemed like torture. However, shoving these thoughts to the back of my mind, I decided to try it out in the name of making friends. It turns out that this was one of the best decisions I’ve made since coming to BU.
Later that day, I, along with four girls I’d never met before, walked to CorePower Yoga in Allston for a sculpt class. When I stepped into the warm studio and squished my feet on the mat, I allowed my thoughts and obligations to stay on the other side of the door. The air was warm, but surprisingly light, and after just a few minutes of stretching I could feel my muscles start to relax.
This class requires a block and a set of light and heavy weights. From the start, we were all encouraged by our instructor to devote this time exclusively to ourselves. I liked the sound of that. The music started to blast and we began to move our bodies almost nonstop. The heat made my muscles surprisingly flexible. I embraced it, going deep into each pose, losing myself in the music and feeling stronger than I had in a long time.
I thought I would be self-conscious trying to balance, but this was a supportive environment, and everyone was here to both challenge and get in touch with themselves. As the sweat began to flow, it literally seemed as if all of the insecurities and worries that had built up inside of me over the last week were making their way out of my body. At the end, I felt recharged. My mind was now a clean slate. My body felt light as a feather, and my face felt as if it had been exfoliated five times in a row. I was literally glowing.
Today, that same girl who invited me to yoga is my closest friend at BU, and we have gone to CorePower together at least once a week since then. With each class, we leave the worries of the day outside and indulge in an hour of time devoted exclusively to ourselves. I especially enjoyed the candlelit evening class last week that focused the mind and body solely on the present moment for a whole hour. In another sculpt class this past week, our instructor asked us each to set an intention for the practice, inviting us to be fearless. She is eight months pregnant, and has such a supportive yet utterly militant disposition. She cranks up the music and insists that we can push harder than we think possible. She gets each person in tune with their body, identifying their limits and helping them push through personal barriers. By the end of this class, I was brimming with gratitude, and I felt empowered and renewed.
I always come away from these classes feeling ready to take on anything. After a month, I am stronger and more flexible than ever. But most importantly, my mind is stronger than ever. Now, when I become overwhelmed or hurt, I know to take a few moments to redirect my thoughts inward to alleviate some tension and make the situation a little more manageable. Most of all, I know that I can handle way more than I think I can. I am so grateful to have an outlet like this in my life.