I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been a huge fan of Yoga. Although I’ve taken many yoga classes and many different kinds of yoga classes over the years, I’ve often scoffed at the practice as a “lazy man’s workout.” I didn’t understand that point of putting on workout clothes and bending your body into strange positions instead of hitting a spin class, running a 5K outside, or even going to a Pilates class. Until yesterday, I was a steadfast believer of the theory that if you didn’t sweat like a wh*re in Church, then you weren’t getting a solid workout. A less than killer workout was a waste of time – time I didn’t have to spare. I didn’t even think it was possible to break a sweat in Yoga class, until yesterday.
On a whim, I recently decided to pursue thirty straight days of yoga, thanks to a generous deal on Groupon. It’s common knowledge that for any goal to be successful, an overarching purpose needs to exist. It is my deepest wish that over the next thirty days, I am able to gain a greater sense of calm, balance and free-spiritedness in my life. I want to be more easy-going and relaxed in my day-to-day life, not so hard-set on things going as planned or my way, and more peaceful in my thoughts and in my mind. A tall order? Yes. Impossible? No.
As I start my career, I’m finding the often-talked-about but not-easily-achieved “work-life balance” to be seemingly unattainable. Work is hard. Relationships are hard. Being away from best friends and family (often in a new city) is hard. Perhaps my spontaneous, compulsive desire to sign myself up for 30 days of what I previously considered to be mindless, sweatless “workouts” was part of a flicker of hope that this routine would double as cheap therapy; we’ll see how that goes… Anyway, it seems as though many people find success in one of the two aforementioned areas (work OR life) but struggle to achieve real, measurable, and fulfilling successes in both areas. In my lifetime, I want to figure out the algorithm that will lead to me to success in both spheres. I realize, however, that in order to accomplish this almighty goal of finding the balance, I need to start with a clear mind, a tranquil soul, and a general sense of peacefulness. Enter: 30 days of yoga at Joy Yoga.
Yesterday was Day 1. I slipped into some cute yoga clothes (one of the few perks of yoga is that you can wear workout gear that is both cute and comfortable) and sceptically entered the yoga studio. Surrounded by Lulu Lemon gear and closed-eyed yogis, I unfurled my trusty mat and sat down. Following suit of the others in the room, I lay all the way down, and I took a few slow, deep breaths. An unobtrusive but noticeable feeling of calm flooded through my body as I breathed in and breathed out.
After another minute of peaceful breathing, the instructor began. “I ask you to think of your intention for this class. What is the purpose of your practice today?” she gently asked the class. As I looked around the room, I tried to imagine what the other peoples’ intentions were. The woman to my left – to find peace after a devastating divorce? The man to my right – to continue to journey to stop smoking? The girl in front of me – to reward herself after a long, hard day in the office with an hour of peaceful me-time? The woman next to her – to find calm in the storm of her mother’s crippling illness? I made up stories for every one of them, some more creative than others, but I couldn’t make up a story for myself. I took a deep breath. So what was my purpose, my intention, my goal? Why was I – a nonbeliever, a non-Yogi, a phony – really there? To find peace, I answered myself. To find peace in my successes and failures at work, to find peace in my relationship, to find peace in my family’s move to St. Louis, to find peace in my new life in Houston, to find peace within my own mind.
I tried to keep this mantra, this intention in mind for the duration of the class, by keeping my eyes closed as often as possible. We went through several rather quick sequences of Downward Dogs, Split Downward Dogs, Scorpion Tails, Planks, Chatturangas, Pigeons, etc., and then it happened. I felt a tiny bead of sweat began to drip down the side of my face. Mission accomplished, Joy Yoga. I was wrong.
In that hour we did so many Chatturangas and Crows that the Warrior Twos and the One-Legged-Splits were beginning to seem easy. Myself included, every person who exited the studio after sixty minutes of “Mixed Levels” yoga was drenched in sweat. The following day (today,) I’m feeling dull soreness in my arms, especially in my triceps, in addition to my quads, hamstrings, glutes, and abs – areas in which I often struggle to challenge and achieve that desired slight soreness (a sign of a job well done in the workout arena.) I’m finding that Yoga is a full-body workout and challenges muscle groups that are otherwise difficult to target. I also am experiencing no pain or tightness in my lower back, shoulders, or neck – areas which often suffer after I try a new workout or ramp up the intensity level. Yoga places a lot of emphasis on form (all the way from your index finger to the point or flex of your feet,) and I can see that this has helped my body adapt to the new workout without pain or excessive soreness.
Another area on which yoga focuses is that of focus. Yogis preach a clear mind, a “translucent forehead,” that allows all thoughts to leave the mind, leaving the practitioner completely at peace both in mind and body. Concentrating on breathing in and out is a great way to start to rid the mind of all thoughts. My hope is that I am able to fully achieve Shavasana – complete relaxation. It is believed that feelings of lightness, freedom, and total peace consume those who achieve Shavasana during meditation. It takes some people years to achieve total Shavasana, but (as I’m always in a hurry), it is my hope that my dedication to these thirty days of total yoga will put me on the path to achieve this peace…yesterday. Just kidding. As soon as possible.
In sum, I just may become a believer in this whole Yoga business. I wonder where my opinion will reside after thirty days of all different kinds of yoga at this new studio (Yin, Hot, Yoga Bootcamp, Guided Meditation, Basics and Form, and Yogalates.)
Until next time, Namaste. May the light in me, honor the light in you.