Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Y-O-G-A, Yoga!

I've been taking a Yoga class. I've done quite a lot of Pilates classes before but very little Yoga. This class I'm taking is being taught by a wonderful woman whom I've had the pleasure of getting to know over the past several years. She is a client of mine and she and I have had many fabulous conversations about fitness. She is a fitness expert and has tons of Yoga training and experience.

Deciding to take this class was tough for me because it meant that I would have to choose it over TaeKwon Do. I only have two free nights. I had already committed myself to play volleyball on Tuesday nights. Monday was the only night I had for either TKD or Yoga. I chose Yoga because I was feeling frustrated about only being able to go to TKD once a week. And I had always wanted the opportunity to work out with this client of mine.

I've been taking the class since the end of September. It is specifically a Power Yoga class. Power Yoga is basically not as slow as other forms, you move quickly from pose to pose and all of the poses are physically demanding. Since beginning the class the difficulty level has increased quite a bit. I'm finding that I am keeping up quite well but I definitely find certain poses to be easier than others. This one doesn't look that bad. But it is. At least for me. I can do it but I can't clasp my hands. Turns out I'm not flexible in the parts that make this pose easy.



What surprised me about Yoga is how much it reminds me of TKD. You see in TaeKwon Do while we are working on our patterns we have to hold certain stances. For instance a walking stance with a punch. Not unlike the Warrior pose really.





I'm not supposed to be paying attention to or comparing myself to anyone else... but... I can't help but notice a lot of students seem to struggle with holding the poses. They can do them initially but not for very long. With most poses I feel like I could hold them all day. Except maybe the Crow pose.



Which I really can't do. Lift my feet off the ground? Not happening. But here I am doing the Triangle pose.



Anyway, it's different. It makes me feel strong. And most importantly it relaxes me. Especially at the end when we do Corpse pose. But I'm weird like that. After all, I was a vampire for Halloween.

(I embedded a cool Yoga video. Doing Yoga in these locations would definitely relax a person.)



4 comments:

Lynanne said...

I really admire you! Oh how I wish I could take a yoga class. What fun! I bought a yoga for dummies video thinking it would be a nice easy, low-impact workout. HAH! I was sore for a week afterwards!

bon said...

I keep thinking about doing something about the attrocious state of weakness my body is in right now.

Thinking about excercise doesn't do a darn thing. Were you aware of that? I am.

Still.... I keep thinking, and thinking.

Good for you! Some day soon, I'll stop thinking and just start doing. I think.

this single spark said...

I started yoga too! Managed to talk my sister into it, which was much more difficult than I thought it would be. At 6'1" (most of it leg) I guess she was feel self conscious about her inflexibility. Once I convinced her that I was in the same boat, even though I am way shorter, she caved. I love it. Always feel so good afterwards. Ali? She is getting used to it. :]

Dawnyel said...

The hardest part of doing Yoga, for me, was trying NOT to fart when I did the poses. My sister and I tried it ONE night, and we HAD to be at the front of the room. So I clenched my butt-cheeks together the ENTIRE time! Ugh! Caused major pain! :P But other than that, I LOVE IT! :)
(Have you tried to do that ONE pose where you lay on your back and pull your knees to your forehead? So was NOT going to happen with me!)