My first yoga experience

For years I’d been hearing about yoga, knowing my friends had done it and seeing TV and movie characters engage in it. I’d never done it before, though. That changed recently when my wife invited me to attend a “mellow yoga” class with her. It was an interesting experience, definitely. I wasn’t too keen on the poem-reading and om-chanting, but the actual yoga exercise was relaxing and fun.

Of course, I was also totally lost. The instructor kept telling us to do all these poses I didn’t know (the names I’d heard before but the details I had no mastery of), some of which were supposed to be done with our eyes closed (I had to peek to make sure I was doing it right). Not a big fan of the tree pose (in which you balance on one foot while the sole of the other foot is on your calf or thigh). There was this great reclining pose we did at the end that I thought I’d fall alseep in, though—that I could have done for hours.

In the end, I decided I may go to another yoga class every now and then, but it’s not my cup of tea for on-a-regular-basis-exercise. Squatting and twisting requires too much coordination and intense muscle pressure. I’m more of a runner/walker.

5 comments

  1. i found yoga to be a little difficult, although many many of my friends really have benefited from it.

    physical activity is so important for us heavy computer users. i used to be extremely sedentary, and it certainly had an impact on my health. we just moved onto our hobby farm, and having to do some real physical work every single day has helped so much.

    i know that it isn’t really news, but i’m still amazed at how much better i feel. of course, somehow i seem have less time for video games…

  2. @Adam
    I may take up Tai Chi eventually. Who knows? For now I’m going to stay a runner/walker. I’m not closed minded about that sort of thing, though.

    @themcp
    Yeah, ever since I quit teaching, I spend many, many hours seated in front of a computer, so any physical exercise I can work into the day is good. I’m now walking home from work, and the walk does wonders to relax me and keep my blood flowing.

  3. I’d always found yoga difficult because I was unsure as to whether I was doing the poses correctly, but the Wii Fit has solved that! I find it really helpful with showing me when my centre of gravity is off. After a week of practicing I was finally getting it right.

    Of course my martial-arts wife stepped on it and had perfect centre of gravity, which had the immediate effect of making me hate the wii for weeks. :-)

  4. I love yoga but can’t stand the incense. Or the music. So I’m thinking of getting a yoga DVD or book and just do it by my lonesome in my flat.

    I say you should give it another go. It’s such fun ;)

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