It has been a month since I started attending yoga classes at the gym, and may I say it has been transformative. So much hype has been built about it that simply the thought of becoming a "yogi" sounds more pretentious to me. But when I started starting my Mondays and Wednesdays stretching and breathing and doing mind relaxations, I got a peek of what the fuss was all about.
Yoga is all about self-love.
I could not have put it any better. Yoga has tremendous benefits (Harvard Med and the US National Institutes of Health say so), physically and mentally, but what was interesting personally in this short time was the sense of fulfillment after getting into a position you never thought you could literally be in. It is that feeling that you are attaining a new level of high with your body alone that makes the experience more endearing, full of potential. It also helps to have a yogi that's encouraging you to push your limits further and showers you with positive vibes, even at times where all you could do are the bare minimum. That's why I'm thankful for Coach Mai of Anytime Fitness El Pueblo, who teaches yoga twice a week before I go to week. Her way of teaching is perfect for beginners who are still looking for the motivation to challenge themselves and learn the ropes.
Of course, dedication cannot be achieved by pursuing a half heart, that is why I am getting my hands on as much tutorial and common-mistakes-to-avoid videos online, which are unsurprisingly abundant on YouTube alone. I especially find Yoga With Adriene really lovely in her tutorials in that she makes it a point not only to teach the correct asana but also to enjoy the whole experience of treating your body well and keeping the positive aura each moment of the exercise.
[UPDATES] Wednesdays have recently been a highlight of my week because of the Yoga classes I have started to join at the nearby Anytime Fitness gym from 7 to 8 in the morning. It's a nice start of day pick-me-up. A few weeks ago, the yogi instructor Mai seemed to have notice that me and the rest of the class have been doing better and I think have been showing great progress so she decided to take one of her two weekly Vinyasa classes to the more "rigorous" Ashtanga Yoga. As she put it, Ashtanga is not particularly difficult especially the beginners' version, as it is essentially composed of the same poses, just that it follows the sequence of ashanas more than Vinyasa (which she described as a "freestyle dance"). Ashtanga, she says, through repetition, allows you to delve deeper into the poses and track your progress during each cycle, which she thinks is what we need now.
This morning was the first session of Mai's Ashtanga Yoga and it was particularly challenging, to be honest. The competitive spirit of me was ignited but my rusty (and frankly stiff) muscles still keep me from doing well (and thus feeling well) as much as I want to during the hour of the class. In any case, I really appreciate the fact that Mai took efforts not to alienate us beginners as it was in a pace faster than the usual. The final pose was halfway to the headstand (which none of us could do yet).
After the class, I felt the urge that I must do better next time, not just for the instructor who took the time to change her routine and introduce us to this new form of challenge, but for myself. I know this skill does not necessarily enhance any other aspect of me in any way but I think it's time learning to embrace this competitive edge that I have. I think in some way this is a form of self-love not simply because of the health benefits yoga gives to the body, but with the high that I feel from actually completing something not everyone can even dare to do. I think it's the healthy amount of self-love, as long as it maintains respect to others, right?
I bought myself a thick yoga mat last month and it's been awesome using it during the sessions. It's a nice incentive for waking up early twice a week to do yoga and I'm planning on treating myself to the more expensive (and thinner non-slip) mat once I've set up my gears and really integrated yoga into my daily routine as a reward. Maybe on the same day I've flawlessly performed a headstand with the correct form.
Tonight, there will be another Vinyasa class at the gym with another instructor so I should use that opportunity to practice, as well.
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