In the beginning of my yoga journey, honestly, the goal was to be more fit and help with weight loss. I had heard it was great for staying in shape! So, I started with ONLY that in mind.
I was hesitant, because I knew it would be challenging and I questioned how much it would benefit me if I wasn’t great at it… but I also knew keeping with the same routine was no longer working if I wanted to change my lifestyle. So, I signed up with a studio that had great online reviews.
At my first class it became clear to me this would be no ordinary fitness routine. I felt out of my comfort zone to say the least. However, I stayed optimistic. I grabbed a mat, rolled it out in the BACK of the studio and began stretching as I saw the other students doing.
The instructor came in quietly, dimmed the lights, began playing relaxing music and sat on her mat.
She spoke in a rather quiet, calming voice as she began instructing us into our poses. I had no clue what I was doing, so I tried to follow the other students. I almost tipped over a couple of times and got lost between poses. Needless to say, it was far more difficult than I had initially thought!
Ok, let’s talk SHAVASANA… my FAVORITE! It’s not so much a yoga pose, but more of a meditation pose. This is where you lay completely flat on your back, arms, and legs out, eyes closed, rest from your yoga practice and meditation begins. Lord, I was so relieved to be on the ground!
The breath is heavy at first, but it begins to slow, your body relaxes, and your mind begins to focus. For just those few moments, for the first time in a long time I was completely still and, in the moment, focused on nothing but my body, my mind and breathing.
Once it was over, it took me a moment to open my eyes and get up, not just because I was tired from my first yoga practice (which, trust me… I was), but because I was completely at ease.
After just one practice I noticed a difference, physically and mentally, a sense of peace took over and it was in that moment I realized I would continue my yoga journey!
I needed to become more physically fit, but what I didn’t realize is how much I needed to just feel at ease and quiet my mind. The body and the mind are very much intertwined, so when we ignore the needs of one the other suffers. It seems that most of us feel the need to constantly stay connected to everyone and everything around us and we don’t seem to have enough time in the day to take care of ourselves.
I believe everyone can benefit from learning to take a little time to be physically active, calm the mind and live more in the here and now, even for just a few moments a day!
