Tuesday, April 19, 2011

To Yoga, Or Not To Yoga

Well, despite a weekend of productivity, I am once again behind in the work that I need to get done. Because of that, my post will be short and sweet:)

One of my goals around the new year was to try a new type of fitness activity. I've done pilates for a number of years, and have always been intrigued by yoga. In January I found a free weekly yoga class in the area, and decided to check it out. I think I fell in love that first class. Ok...it was more like a love-hate relationship.

You see, yoga class comes at the end of a stressful day, and for that reason, I really love it. I love knowing that at the end of it, I get to go and spend an hour relaxing and moving my body. That's the love part.

Now comes the hate: I've only taken yoga from one person, but i feel like my yoga teacher holds poses for FOREVER. At least it seems forever. The first 10-15 seconds the pose feels good, and after that I'm pretty sure the thought in my head goes something like this: AGHHHHHH....MAKE IT END. Yes, by the end of the pose I'm a shaking mess.

I can tell that I'm getting stronger, and I love feeling how my breaths move with the motions of my own body. There's something calming about that. I've also noticed that when I can't shut off my mind, I really struggle to hold the poses, and each minute seems to drag by. When I can focus on my breathing and body movement, the time just flies by.

I guess this reminds me a bit of life as a whole. I think because we are so busy, and often looking for the next "big thing" (hmm...this is reminding me a little of the post on life's tiny delights), we tend to miss a lot of little moments along the way. The whole idea of mindfulness is bringing our awareness back to the present. This is what yoga forces me to do. I hope through the practice of yoga I can continue to work on applying this to daily life as well.

In case you were wondering- my favorite poses at the moment are the warrior poses. They're fabulous and I can incorporate some of the principles of pilates from it. I think the two compliment each other nicely. So, that's my incredibly scattered and chaotic thoughts on my introduction to yoga.

Do you do yoga on a regular basis? If not, what makes you hesitant to try it? If you do, what have your experiences been, and what's your favorite pose? 

18 comments:

  1. I love yoga! I have recently started doing it 2-3 times a week and am really loving the way it is making me feel again. I like restorative yoga right now with lots of stretching, but hot yoga is fantastic too :)

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  2. Let us know how the yoga turn out!!!

    Visiting from SITS comment hour

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  3. Holding the pose is what makes yoga work. It is a static exercise. It is hard because it is a workout. Stick with it and you will love it!

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  4. I love hot yoga!! me and my husband did 2 months unlimited. I got another Groupon coupon!

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  5. I've always wanted to try yoga, but so far haven't taken the leap. Maybe you've inspired me! ;)

    Stopping by from comment hour!

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  6. Great blog! stopping over from the SITS comment hour.

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  7. Yoga is the only exercise that I've found I like!

    xoxo,
    Joelle

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  8. Okay so i keep trying Yoga on the Wii Fit game and I'm terrible at it and don't enjoy it. Is it just me? I keep trying because I want to like it, i do!

    Visiitng from SITS!

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  9. I don't do yoga on a regular basis but have found a love of pilates and the two have much in common. Wish I could do it more often.

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  10. I would LOVE to do yoga. My MIL does it every week and I wish I could find somewhere that would do it cheap (or free even). Here from #commenthour I would love it if you could stop by my blog Newlyweds on a Budget www.morganandkari.com

    Kari

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  11. Love yoga when I have a good instructor. I do Pilates more often because I feel it is better for strength training. I do yoga when I need to relax. :)

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  12. Yoga is #1 on my personal "to do" list... I have yet to find a place that is close enough to be convenient but I can't wait to try it out!

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  13. I love yoga! Can't wait until I have someone to watch my girls so I can go again!

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  14. Everyone raves about yoga. I did a little when I was pregnant. I was (a million years ago) a gymnast and am still pretty bendy, so a friend was telling me, "You should go, you'd be so good at it!" If I could just figure out what to do with the kids.....

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  15. I'm not a fan of yoga or pilates. I've tried numerous times. It's too slow and boring. I'm bored. I'm laying on the mat wondering when the heck am I getting out of here. I like tennis, golf, running outside. That's just me. I enjoy the outdoors, sunshine on my face. But, I hear it's a good stress reliever. I still prefer a massage!! LOL. Stopping by for #commenthour

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  16. Personally, I find that Yoga stresses me. But to each their own!

    Stopping by from #CommentHour :)

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  17. I, too, started out doing a lot of pilates and just recently started some yoga as part of the p90x program. At first I hated it because it was looooooong and I wanted to be "moving" more, but I've really started to appreciate the challenge and notice improvements.

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  18. OMG, I LOVE yoga. I go to a studio near me, and I feel so much stronger and focused. Once I master a pose and I'm able to focus on it, I feel so liberated!!


    Stopping by from #commenthour! -Meg

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