Trying Yoga

Alright, yoga has been a fad in recent years. I would say that almost all my friends have a t least gone to one class, if no a few sessions. I've gone a few times in my life, but I've always found it uncomfortable. No one really wants to go to a class and not know what the fuck is going on.

Namaste 

Only word I understood in one class I went to. The whole time the instructor was walking out saying different "moves" and everyone around me seemed to know what was going on. 

The instructor kept saying, "if you can't do this move, do that move". No one did the easier move, so I pretty much guessed what an easier version might be. Every time she said "if you need a rest, you can always go into child's pose" I knew she was indicating I guessed wrong. Thanks...

$100 a Month? Are you out of your mind?

It's great that yoga is so in nowadays because there are always Groupons. We found one that gives us a chance to try 4-5 different studios, 10 classes at each of those studios, and it only cost $30 total...which can be a $500 value if you had just paid normal price.

If your studio costs more than the average gym membership, I honestly recommend not going there. Places that charge of equipment and towels on top of the class are also not worth the money. Try to find a studio that makes you comfortable and doesn't break the bank. I'll let you know which ones I like in the Portland area once I've tried a few.

Gentle Yoga

So to avoid another traumatic experience, my friend and I searched for a more beginner class and the price range worked out well too. A lot of the studios on the list are pretty new. The one we are starting with is at a community center. 

It's great because if you're just interested in trying it and don't want to over commit, they have all the supplies you need. The place is very clean and relaxing and we felt like the pace matched our needs as beginners. 

The class focused on internal compassion. A lot of my life I have criticized myself for not doing more, for not pushing more, and sometimes it caused a lot of pain because I doubted myself more. I think it's important to reflect on the good things we've done in a day and try to improve on that. 

The instructor focused her energy on making sure we were calming our minds and letting ourselves feel the movements. Exercise can be intense and exhausting. This class helped me destress without pushing my body too far. I feel it's important to have a balance, which is why I picked yoga. Running kicks my ass. Yoga stretches it and improves my muscles.

I'm not flexible, but I'm hoping in a couple weeks to be able to bend over and touch my toes with little to no effort. I'll let you know when it happens. As always, thanks for reading.