Sunday morning I did something completely out of character. I woke up hours before I typically rise, I got dressed hours before “real” clothes find their way to my body and I left the house with a specific destination in mind. A yoga class!
Now this might not seem like a big deal to most blog readers. According to Yoga Journal, nearly 15 million Americans practice yoga. I am not one of those 15 million people because I have, never, NEVER practiced yoga. But for some unknown reason (if I was already way into yoga I would probably credit the universe) I woke up at an ungodly hour and made my way to a local yoga class.
It was perfect! The lights were low and people were stretching out on their mats. There was zen-like music playing quietly in the background but I could still hear the slightly muffled sounds of Rihanna and Jay-Z coming from the gym a few doors down. It was the perfect mix of east and west. Just enough yoga to not feel like I have abandoned my beloved treadmill. I came to the realization that I could really get into this yoga thing! (Yes, I’m late jumping on the bandwagon.)
But then I did something drastic. The following day, yesterday, I signed up for a very, VERY advanced yoga class in a yoga school. This wasn’t my gym that offered yoga along with Zumba and pilates and step aerobics. This was strictly for yoga lovers. There were bamboo floors and incense burning in the entry way, the lights were turned out completely and the temperature was at a solid 90 degrees. I sweat so much that I couldn’t keep my hands firmly planted on the mat, hands that were purportedly supporting all of my weight. I was put into positions I never imagined possible. A back bend? Me? And I did it! So there was that glimmer of hope and happiness, a sense of accomplishment and pride. But I got the same feeling of pride from the gym yoga without the fear. Yoga should not be a fearful endeavor, it is all about finding your center and meditating for peace. It should not be about praying to remain injury-free.
So I think I’m sticking with my gym membership and taking the simple, straightforward (and yet still challenging) yoga classes that come with my membership. I’m glad I took a detour onto the wild side and who knows, maybe when my yoga skills progress I will venture to the candlelit side once again. But for now I’m content with my mainstream yoga.
Namaste!
That’s great. When I started doing yoga it was totally out of nowhere too. I think it’s awesome that you tried a studio, and one day you may want to go back. When I started I did only gym yoga for about 6 months. Then I slowly progressed up to a yoga studio, and even got engaged on a yoga retreat (I am, however, less ‘yogi’ than this all makes me sound…) It’s definitey a different vibe, and one day you might decide its a great next step for you. Or not. but don’t let anyone tell you that it’s not “real” yoga at the gym. People said that to me and it drove me nutty. Namaste indeed!