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Me at Yoga Sanctuary studio, Toronto, June 2007
Yoga.
I love yoga. I really love it. It doesn't feel like exercise. It feels like I'm spring cleaning my soul.
Like a lot of people, I once thought it was only for the seriously fit and flexible so I never had the nerve to go to a proper class. So I bought a DVD, Simply Yoga, and had my first go at it in my lounge room in Hobart in April 2005, when I was still hovering around the 100kg mark. I could barely do balasana, because the rolls of flab got in the way and were slowly crushing my lungs, making it impossible to breathe! I was so out of condition and inflexible. I didn't see myself ever being confident enough to pursue it seriously.
When I moved to Melbourne later that year I started pursuing it with a bit more interest and passion, practising for up to an hour a day. My flexibility improved out of sight, although the more difficult poses, especially backbends, I still struggled with. Around that time my wonderful friend Mary sent me Shiva Rea's Yoga Shakti DVD, which has an incredible yoga matrix on it, and I am still yet to get bored with it. It has formed the basis of my home practice for the past four years.
As my confidence in yoga grew, I found myself really wanting to go to classes and learn more, and to get better at it. But then I really got into triathlons at the end of 2006, and I focused on hard-core training for those. The only time I did yoga that whole time was the day before a race to stretch my well-used, worn-out muscles!
Then, in January 2007, I went to Sydney to spend a weekend with Mary and she took me to her regular class at Samadhi Yoga. It was an amazing, eye-opening experience. I discovered that I had the fitness to keep up with the class, the flexibility to be able to do the more difficult postures and enough respect for my body to be gentle with it and see where it wanted to go.....it revealed to me that my body was lot stronger than I thought it was. When I returned to Melbourne, I started practising seriously and went to Bikram and power vinyasa classes, which I loved.
It was during that time that I discovered that yoga is not just resting and relaxing. It's about pushing boundaries and going to places you might not necessarily want to go. There is a rawness to it, of sorts. I was at a point in my life where I was extremely happy and excited about the future, but also nursing some terrible heartbreaks, and fear of the unknown, as I was about to go travelling and move to another country, alone. Practising yoga made me confront my fears about all this, and encouraged me to nurture myself and move forward through the tough times.
When I moved to London, I started going to Jivamukti (by far my favourite, I wish I lived closer to the studio!) until I moved from the area, and then for the next two years I did ashtanga with a private teacher. Recently I've started doing hatha, at a class just around the corner from me. I'm going to start going to Bikram again soon too. I love the sweaty high of a workout, but I need the peace that yoga brings to my life, too - the feeling of strength and self acceptance. I am very much a work in progress. Yoga reminds me of that.
I love how quiet my mind becomes when I practice. I focus on what I'm doing. I don't think about any of the dramas going on in my life, don't think about any past hurts or worries about the future, I just concentrate on the moment. And I love the way my body feels when I practice. It feels strong. It feels amazing. And it's wonderful to feel so proud of yourself and your body. That's something I could never have imagined five years ago, watching that yoga DVD in my lounge room in my size 18 elastic-waisted Kmart trackpants.
It's brought a lot of peace and joy into my life.
As much as I think I've got everything figured out, yoga reminds me of what I still need to work on. Sometimes it reveals things to me that I'd honestly rather forget about, or pretend aren't there. But when I come to the mat, I don't feel afraid. I don't feel incapable. I feel so happy and alive.
Do you do yoga? Do you love it as much as I do?
15 comments:
yoga is so incredible! it's really the only whole body + mind experience that i can think of -- such a one of a kind thing. xo!
ps. that sanctuary in toronto looks unbelievable!
It was lovely - my friend and I were the only people who showed up for an afternoon class, so it was like having one on one tuition! We even got a shoulder massage during shavasana, from memory :)
I love yoga too - and I really enjoy hearing about other people's yoga journeys!
Namaste
x
Namaste Kathleen :) x
Cheers to you fellow yogi! It's amazing what yoga brings to our lives and in effect, those around us. I hope to practice with you again sometime soon! I was looking around for the images from 2007. Here are you with Patty - http://www.flickr.com/photos/phodis/364365960/
It was such a key moment in my yoga life, that class with you - it made me realise how much power it had to be a positive force in my life :D
I still have my heart set on a retreat in India with you babe!! xx
Hon, I was going to mention India but then thought you'd have better things to do then go to India with me. I really want to do it and would LOVE to go with and experience it with you. Did you hear you have to get a yoga visa now if you want to practice in the shalas over there!? It's a great way for India to make more money off westerners I guess. I still would love to do the Shiva Rea retreat there. Mmm, get married first and then we'll revisit this idea and make it reality *mwah* x
I recently started doing Ashtanga. I'd actually been in the Lululemon shop and was saying that I know I *should* do yoga but I get so bored and one of the girls suggested it. I really enjoy it because you aren't just lolling around doing nothing :)
Beautiful post! So glad I meandered over to your blog :)
You describe the wonder of yoga perfectly. I love the challenge too, and contrary to sports such as running or tennis, yoga seems to be in control of your body, rather than vice versa.
I've started practising regularly as a compliment to my running, and I saw such improvements so quickly. Now I see it as a way to treat my body when I've been pushing it; after my half marathon at the weekend, a yoga routine felt better than a hot bubble bath!
Thanks everyone!!
Mary, we'll definitely think about India soon! It's always been in the back of my mind since that weekend in Sydney :D xx
Kathrynoh, ashtanga is amazing - it tones up your arms fabulously! I like working hard in yoga, definitely, which is why I lean towards ashtanga and Bikram for my practice. Jivamukti is also an incredible workout!
Tiffany, hi and welcome!
Jumbleberry, I find yoga is a wonderful complement to my running as well. My tradition the night before a race is to do about an hour of ashtanga, and my Shiva Rea matrix! It loosens up the muscles so well!
Hm maybe I should try yoga ... I'll do pretty much anything in an attempt to quiet my mind at this point!
I'm glad you found something that you enjoy so much :)
Bikram yoga was by far the most intense form of exercise I have ever done. The first time, my friend and I were waiting for the class to start, lying on our mats, already sweating, we looked at each other, got the giggles and she said, "This is absurd." I absolutely loved it, though I haven't done it this year. Maybe I should?
Ooh, and PS. If that's you sitting in the yoga studio - you mentioned you were around teh 100kg mark?! It looks like you've done an amazing job to get where you are now! Congratulations, that must feel great!
Bikram is amazing, and I want to get back to it. I loved the combination of the sweaty, ferocious cardio workout but also the immense feeling of satisfaction and peace that came with it. And splashing cold water on your face afterwards is the most heavenly feeling ever!!
Yes, that is me in the picture, when I'd lost all the weight and been at my goal for about a year. It's been three years since that picture and I'm still going ok :)
I LOVE yoga. Right now, time and money constraints prevent me from taking any classes, which generally really help me stay motivated and in a bit of a groove. Any DVDs you can recommend for me? Especially something with short sessions, like 20 minutes or so (needs to be able to be crammed into naptime along with chores, email, etc!)? I have Rodney Yee's AM Yoga for Beginners (I think) but I don't like how each session focuses only on one type of pose (hips, standing, bends, etc.)--I like to mix it up each time. I also don't like DVDs that require the use of props (other than a mat).
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