Yoga!

Back to the Mat! 

Yesterday, I went for my first Yoga class in almost a year. It was a Hot Yoga class in the "Fire" (I love that!) room - which I found fitting as I'm a fire sign (no, I'm not an astrology fanatic).

I decided to purchase a 30 day unlimited pass from Yoga Tree in Toronto, and I have a feeling this is one of the better decisions I've made for myself.

My mini-goal is to do Yoga every day for the next 30 days. Whether I go to a class every day, or practice at home and go to a few class sessions each week - I will achieve this! But my goal goes much deeper than 30 days...

Goals

I've felt like I'm at a stagnant phase in my life. I feel like I've lost a connection with myself, and the anxious stressful feelings that constantly plague my mind are getting old. I want to let them go, and I want to move past them. I know I have some deep thinking to do in terms of goals I have for myself, my career, and whatever else - but I need to approach this thought process with a clear mind. I guess you could say I'm doing a cleanse of the mind for a little while. 

There's so much focus on "cleanses" and "detoxes" with food, and people like to do these as the seasons change - but why not do a mental cleanse too? 

First Class Experience

I shouldn't really say this is my "first class", as I'm familiar with Yoga. However, I haven't been to a class since around this time last year. It was a Jock Yoga class, and it was phenomenal. I also used to do P90X Yoga on the regular. Mostly for fitness and flexibility though. I'm not sure why I didn't pick my practice back up, and I'm not sure how I lost it for the past year - but I'm happy to start back up. 

The studio was quiet, with very nice women working at the counter. They were friendly and welcoming, and I even had a nice chat with one of them while waiting for the previous class to finish. The atmosphere won me over instantly, because I've been to studios that give me that cold "clique" feeling that I remember all too well from my high school years.

I went for an 8:15pm Hot Yoga class, and surprisingly there was only 8 or 9 students. I'm not complaining though, because I didn't have that stress of rushing to find a spot where I wouldn't be kicked in the face during Downward Dog. 

The lights were dim, and the air was hot. I stayed in corpse pose until the class started, it was a beautiful feeling. I focused on my breath, and took some time to just let thoughts enter and leave my mind without any control. 

Class started, and it was a glorious sweat-filled hour of deep stretches, twists, and a move I've never done before! (Upward Facing Bow/Wheel Pose! I've never done this before, and was shown how to ease into it!)

Accomplishments

I know this seems like a small accomplishment to experienced Yogis, and to people who don't practice it may seem silly... But to me, it was about more than just the pose. It was about going into a situation and not thinking I could accomplish a specific task. I find this is a big roadblock for me in life. Whether it be in my career, with my fitness goals, or with anything really... I constantly underestimate myself and what I'm capable of. I look at other people who are finding "success", and who are happy - and I think "that could never be me".

But, with encouragement and knowledge - I took a chance, I attempted something I had not yet done before - and I saw success!
This class gave me the valuable reminder that my abilities are only as limited as I believe them to be. I needed this, and as I'm typing this, I feel like crying. It's not that I'm sad, but I feel a little more opened up than I did even just a few days ago. This one moment gave me access to a vision of reaching for things I previously believed to be out of reach.

For this, I am grateful. I know I will have good and bad moments during my practice, and I look forward to what I can learn from each and every one.