Final Reflections: 7 Days of Yoga

Sevens days ago, I stepped in CorePower Yoga, ready to embark on a new fitness journey.

Let me begin by telling you about my past experiences with yoga.

My dance team in high school hired a yoga instructor who would come to the school and spend an hour with us once a week.  I really can’t even remember how long it lasted but I hated it.  I loathed downward dog and in yoga, you do downward dog a lot.  I remember having a hard time taking it seriously.  There was lots of giggling and lots of open eyes during times when they were supposed to be closed.  And there was a lot of time spent trying things out and not as much spent on flowing.

Fast forward to my freshman year of college.  I wanted to try something fun and new so I found a nearby bikram studio and went a grand total of three times with a few friends.  I took it a lot more seriously and left everytime, drenched in sweat and feeling rejuvinated.  It was tough though, and looking back, I don’t know if hot yoga was the best thing to jump right into, considering my lack of yoga experience.  I stopped going because, well, it was expensive and the rec center at schoool was free.

After these two short experiences with yoga, I was pretty convinced that I hated it.  I couldn’t breathe right and it wasn’t nearly as relaxing as I’d thought it was going to be.

So why did I decide to give it another go?

Maybe it was the free week offer and the fact that my knee had been hurting so I wanted to try something other than running or maybe it was because I’d read so much about other people’s experiences with yoga that I began to reconsider it but whatever the reason, I’m glad I went because these past 7 days have yielded one of the best experiences of my life. 

Does that sound dramatic?  I assure you, it’s not.  I’m just genuinely happy with how I’ve felt this past week. 

In 7 days, I’ve taken 8 classes and have left each time feeling strong, centered, relaxed and happy.  I’ll admit that I’ve been sore but it feels so good to use muscles that I didn’t know I had and realize how strong I am!  I must be more mature now because I have no trouble keeping my eyes close and focusing on my own movements and the breathing just comes naturally. 

I’ve ben led by a number of different teachers and each have taught me something, be it a new pose or a different way of thinking about myself.  Some classes have been really tough and others less tough, but I’ve challenged myself in each.  And I finally got to do some vinyasa flow!  Vinyasa means “breath-syncronized movement” so you flow through poses as you breathe.  Think of it as one breath, one movement.  To  me, it feels really similar to dancing but in a slowed-down-so-you-can-enjoy-it-more kind of way.  LOVE IT. 

Here’s a few things I’m taking away from my 7-day yoga experience:

• Yoga is all about your practice.  You should always believe your practice was just what it was supposed to be that day.
• Remember that it is a practice and it’s something you have to keep working at.
• Downward dog is awesome.
• Sensation is good, pain is bad.
• A yoga towel is necessary (those downward dogs are slippery!).
• You can make your practice as easy or as difficult as you want.
• Quieting your thoughts is hard.
• Yoga will make you sweat.
• “When you wholeheartedly adopt a ‘with all your heart’ attitude and go all out with the positive principle, you can do incredible things.”  My teacher today kept saying this throughout class and I loved it.

Corepower Yoga is pretty expensive so I don’t think a membership is really an option but they offer two free classes a week and drop in classes are only $12 so I’ll figure something out and I can look into the classes offered at the rec center on campus.

I do know I fully intend on making yoga a commitment that I carry on into the new year.