I’m attending my first yoga class today in about 10 years, and I’m not sure what to expect.
Let’s take a few steps back. So, I’ve had a strange year in terms of my body. Without delving into the super awesome details, parts of my body have decided to stage a coup d’état…not really sure why, but a typical week now consists of twice weekly physical therapy appointments, supplements, worrying, and a good hunk of generalized what-the-hell-is-happening-to-my-body. Running is not an option anymore (which perpetuates the cycle…mama needs a good run to clear her head), and my overall exercise has dwindled to almost nothing. Basically, I’m a huge ball of fun over here.
My doctors and physical therapists have suggested yoga as a good way to help stretch my clenched muscles (and relax my mind), and I’m up for anything.
Yet. Yet! As a girl who usually gets REALLY excited at the thought of a new endeavor (swimming! sewing! running a 10k! let’s research it to death and buy all sorts of gear! and daydream! I AM GOING TO LOVE SAID NEW ENDEAVOR!), I just can’t get excited about yoga. What gives? Why am I already feeling negative about practicing yoga?
Is it the stillness? The lack of hauling ass for several miles? The time alone with my thoughts? The fact that I am less flexible than a 90-year-old?
And this is when I turn to you guys. Please tell me I’m being silly/scared/a freak and that yoga is the bomb. Or tell me it isn’t. All in all, I’d just love to hear your opinions. (Especially any yoga-changed-my-life-and-cured-my-ailments ones…yeah, those would be nice.)
photo credit: melissa mercier
laziza
May 8, 2013 at 9:25 amI used to take a weekly yoga class and loved it. I don’t get to go anymore for a whole host of reasons. But I will say these two things:
1 – I fully credit prenatal yoga for two drug-free childbirths, one of which was breech. (If you knew my two-year-old daughter, you would find so many things explained by the fact that she was born BUTT FIRST.) It sounds insane, I know, but I think I developed an ability to focus on my breathing – to the exclusion of most else – that really helped in those labor and deliveries.
2 – One of the nice things for me – aside from the obvious health benefits – is that it was an hour during which I was forced to only do something good for myself. It’s hard to articulate, but there is no multi-tasking during yoga, and you’re a jerk if your cell phone rings or you get up and walk out. So once you’re there, you’re there. You don’t have any choice but to take care of yourself for an hour.
Erica
May 8, 2013 at 10:00 amYour second point hits the nail on the head. There is no multi-tasking. You are there and forced to be present. Someone else mentioned above that eventually, it becomes something more than the poses – they are right. At first you will be anxious (where does my right arm go? Is my butt in the right place? Where am I supposed to be looking), and that is okay. Let yourself feel it and work through it. The more you go, the more the moves will become like second nature and you will be clearing your head while getting a wonderful exercise.
I tried a bunch of different kinds of yoga with very little success. I thought it was a pretty lame workout. That is until I went to my first Bikram class. I love Bikram. It is the right kind of yoga for me. It is crazy hot and you will sweat your body weight, but the moves are exactly the same every time you go, so once you have the flow of the class down, you can really mentally check out (and completely forget about the person next to you who pulled her mat to close to yours) and be with yourself.
whoorl
May 8, 2013 at 8:18 pmErica – that’s exactly how I felt today. I was constantly wondering if I was doing it right, but all in all, I was really happy with the class. Really excited to go back on Friday. :)
loeper
May 8, 2013 at 9:50 amhi! i go in waves with yoga, but when i’m routinely going, i love it. and agree with all the above – the instructor can make or break. the one i love has the most soothing voice and she makes no bones about how the next 90 minutes is all about you. i’ve tried bikram but not a fan of the same poses every class no matter where you go. i find that a vinyasa flow class is my jam because you still get your heart rate up. the one i go to is heated so you feel really detoxified after. fortunately most studios give you a week free to try them all out. good luck! can’t wait to hear what you think. xo
Jen Campisano
May 8, 2013 at 10:03 amI haven’t been able to practice yoga for a few months for a variety of reasons (broken arm, surgery, another surgery), but it is such a healing place for me. And a damn good workout, too. I’d just echo what other readers have said: make sure you find a good teacher who resonates with you. Go to a few studios until you find one you love. Bikram is hard for me because you do the same series every. single. time. I made the mistake of taking my husband to a Bikram class for his first experience with yoga. He gave himself rugburn wiping the sweat off his face, and now he will not return to any kind of yoga with me. Mostly, I practice vinyasa (sometimes called power) because of the variety and faster pace. My studio here plays great music. Other people prefer silence with their yoga, but I like the music. If you’re ever in the Phoenix area, let me know + I’ll take you to my favorite studio here.
Hannah
May 8, 2013 at 10:17 amSuch a fan of yoga! A few years ago I was in terrible pain and went to the doctor to find that my hips, spine, knees-basically everything- was completely out of alignment. Adjustments twice a week were just not helping. I started a twice weekly yoga class and within just a few weeks my body had started to realign and I felt so.much.better. Seriously, I think it is such a fantastic way to help you improve your overall health. I stopped practicing for about a year and just got back into recently. My body loves me again! I sit at a desk all day and the stretching, plus the strength training that is built in, makes me feel so good! Best wishes to you. I sincerely pray this helps with the pain you’ve been in!
Hannah
Julia
May 8, 2013 at 10:34 amIf the comments above don’t convince you of starting a yoga practice then the gorgeous back of the woman in the picture you have posted should! I have practiced yoga for 15 years and within the last 2 years I have forgone the gym in favor of hitting the yoga mat 5 days a week. The workout is unparalleled; the muscle toning, the cardio range, the benefits to vital organs and the digestive system and most of all it is the only place that I can TURN OFF my mind. Wishing you good health and healing, Sarah!
Sarah
May 8, 2013 at 10:45 amIt’s not often I can return the favor, so to speak, when it comes to advice via the Internet.
I’ve practiced yoga since 1998, and nearly daily for the last 5 years or so. In 2011 I finished a 200-hour teacher training through Equinox. I read yoga books and blogs, and keep a journal about my yoga practice. I planned a vacation to San Diego to take yoga classes with a guy from India. I own a lot of Lululemon, and can probably name the season and year any of their products were released.
Obssessed? A leeeeeeettle.
The short version is that I used loathe yoga, but would do it every now and then because I knew it was good for me. After a running injury, I practiced daily because I couldn’t do anything else. That daily practice hooked me after just a week and I’ve stuck with it ever since. I’d teach yoga, but I have a day job that I love. So for now, yoga is my hobby but I dream of retiring to a warm place and teaching yoga. If my recent vacation is any indication, I would be a fantastic lady of leisure, living in a beach house in Encinitas, and going to the yoga studio everyday.
Just go with it. Once you find a teacher and studio you like, go for about three days a week for about a month. And don’t worry if it’s annoying at first – you might find that the first few studios or teachers you try aren’t speaking to you. Trust me, some teachers are too granola, too chatty, too quiet, or just too silly. But you’ll eventually find one that’s just right.
If you’re ever looking for free yoga advice, feel free to email/tweet anytime. It’s the least I can do for all the hair and style advice I’ve received from YOU over the years.
Lastly…two of my favorite resources on yoga:
-The about.com columnist who handles all things yoga is quite good. I’d describe it as being practical, knowledgable, and approachable. Highly recommend.
-On YouTube, look up Rebecca Pacheco. Her videos are excellent and you might like her athletic style. (Note: I learned how to teach yoga from her, and adore her.)
Good luck! xo
whoorl
May 8, 2013 at 8:28 pmThis is AWESOME. Thank you, Sarah!
glamgranola
May 8, 2013 at 11:11 amThere are many types of yoga! The best advice I can give, as a yoga teacher, is to make sure you know what kind of class you are jumping into. I teach a hot, vinyasa style class and it certainly isn’t for everyone. But I do believe there is a type for everyone. Maybe give a few different types of yoga classes a shot before you commit! Yoga really is therapeutic; I think you’ll love it.
angela
May 8, 2013 at 11:17 amHi Sarah – Have you considered Bar classes? Not to knock yoga at all, but if you’re injured you often need the gentle yoga classes to help you heal. I’ve been doing yoga for a while and have had injuries sideline my usual strong practice. (I’m dealing with a rotator cuff/shoulder injury.) I’ve recently started the Bar Method and found that it’s incredibly low impact, but I get an amazing workout along with the stretching and flexibility workout you’d get from yoga.
Stickyheels
May 8, 2013 at 11:24 amI’ve found before that my hang-ups with reintroducting myself to yoga (I’ve been REALLY INTO IT and REALLY NOT INTO IT 4 or 5 times in the last 4 years) involves feeling that if I’m about to spend 90 minutes doing something “workout-ey” then I want to SWEAT and be SORE and get a really good workout. And I think, when you’re remembering yoga, or seeing it from the outside, it doesn’t look like that. It looks like bending and stretching. But then I get back into a class and I push myself, and I’m challenging myself and I’m seeing the amazing things other people are able to do with their bodies and next thing I know my heartrate is so elevated I need to chill out for a minute, and when I leave my muscles are shaking. And I always leave feeling satisfied and satiated and like someone’s taken my limbs, pulled them off, shaken the dust out of them and then reattached them a little more securely :)
Sharon
May 8, 2013 at 11:55 amI did boot camp for 3 years and recently switched to yoga. I love it and I love how I feel after. I am still toned and my body is happy that I stopped the high impact workouts.
Erin
May 8, 2013 at 12:17 pmI saw someone mentioned this already but I cannot recommend CorePower enough (and I know they’re in CA). I get pretty bored during yoga but the heat, intensity and music of this one really helps. I’ve done it in Minneapolis and DC and found the teaching to be challenging and consistent. But tell them what’s going on with your body, because it’s pretty hard and intense.
whoorl
May 8, 2013 at 12:30 pmI can’t thank you guys enough for all of these awesome comments! And for the record, I just returned from yoga class #1. It was a ‘yoga blend’ class and felt more natural to me than I thought it would. (Barring the fact that I was constantly craning my neck to see if I was doing the poses right!)
Ready to head back again on Friday!
Home Sweet Sarah
May 8, 2013 at 1:32 pmOoooh I’m so excited for you! I love yoga! I’ve been going for a little over 10 years and the thing I think is most important is to try a bunch of different kinds of yoga (including different studios and different instructors at each studio, in addition to different classes/types of yoga (vinyasa, hatha, ashtanga, etc.)). In Bakersfield, I had a place I LOVED and would you believe that in San Diego of all places, it took me forever to find a place that was even slightly comparable? Trial and error, trial and error. Once you find a place that is all the perfect components of what you want (and maybe you don’t know what you want now, but in a few classes, you’ll definitely know what you DON’T want), then you can start to glean the benefits of yoga. When I started running more frequently a couple years ago, my shins would KILL me. I had finally found a place up here in N. Cal and seriously after two classes, my shins were fine. Also, I had this weird shoulder thing for awhile a couple months ago. Just kept going to yoga and it doesn’t hurt anymore. Finally, may I just mention that I am so freaking achey and sore and blah right now? Haven’t been to yoga in three weeks, so it’s no wonder. But anyway, so this comment doesn’t ramble on forever, let me wrap up. I hope you find a class for you (and soon! Less trial and error!) and if you have any questions, let me know. I’m not a professional yogi, but I’ve taken my share of classes over the years.
Kerri Anne
May 8, 2013 at 3:06 pmFact: This post and subsequent (rad) comment section just inspired me to sign up for my first! ever! yoga class. Two! weeks. Hold me closer, Tony Danza.
whoorl
May 8, 2013 at 8:30 pmYES!!
Tami (Teacher Goes Back to School)
May 8, 2013 at 6:28 pmRestorative yoga can lower blood pressure, alleviate depression, improve the quality of sleep, and help get rid of stress-caused belly fat. Plus it just feels good.
Yoga has definitely changed my life and finding the right teacher/style is key. I’m clearly in the minority when talking about relaxing on purpose, but man it’s a game changer. Try it!