Taking the Yoga Plunge

People who maintain a regular yoga practice talk about physical and mental benefits it has on their lives, but from the outside looking in, yoga can be intimidating. Mirrored rooms of thin girls/fit men in tight clothes/minimal clothes bending themselves into positions that don’t seem comprehensible.

Against all odds, I still found my way to yoga.

I can remember when one of my friends suggested we sign up for an intro month at our local hot yoga studio. I was intrigued, but nervous. The studio was popular with students at the local universities, so I imagined a room full of fit yogis who didn’t sweat – they sparkled (trust me, I am one of those ladies who sweat). I never considered myself to be flexible, that’s for sure. I didn’t feel athletic. And while I may have owned the proper clothes, they were primarily reserved for lounging.

But after my first class I was hooked.

The atmosphere was gentle, yet challenging. The teacher encouraged you to take everything at your own pace and skill level (mine being zero). It created a supportive environment that made me think, “Maybe yoga is more than just Lululemon”.

That first class was five years ago and I’m still keeping up a regular practice.

As cliché as it sounds, when it comes to yoga, flexibility of the mind is more important than your ability to touch your toes. While being able to shape yourself into a human pretzel is a neat party trick, and something that makes you feel pretty accomplished, it’s the willingness to try that will take you further into your practice.

After regularly attending classes, I gradually gained the strength and flexibility required to get into difficult poses that weren’t accessible to me initially. That’s not to say I can hang out in a handstand or effortlessly get into crow (two poses I’m working on reaching), but it means that I can bend a little further, reach a little higher, and get the deep stretches that my creaky, desk-bound body requires. And that’s the beauty of an activity that’s called a ‘practice’ – there is no perfect, and if there were it would look different for everyone.

A beautiful thing that’s happening in the yoga community is the emphasis on the fact that yoga bodies exist in all shapes and sizes. Yoga bodies also include women with big thighs and maybe a little extra padding on the midsection thanks to a love of sweets (high five, sister) – here’s the proof.

While I can’t say that I’m a totally zen person who never stresses and exudes calm, yoga does generally make me nicer. It’s made me relax and adopt a live and let live philosophy. It’s also helped me drink more water, eat better food and get some muscle in my chicken wing arms. Not too bad for a girl who was afraid to try.


Martha

About

Splitting her time between thinking about her dog and spending time with her dog, Martha has become the person she used to loathe. Other than that, you can find her enjoying pizza, good coffee and pretending she isn't interested in fantasy sports.



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