I remember seeing SWEATY people walking out of Bikram as I was picking up my son from preschool. What on earth was going on in there? I finally picked up a brochure - 90 minutes of YOGA. I have been a runner for over 20 years and I thought yoga was all fluff. However, I love to sweat and the idea of the heated class appealed to me.
As a mother of six young children, escaping for 90 minutes (plus travel time) seemed virtually impossible. How could I practice on a continuous basis? My husband,Tom, was the first to try it and I was really curious watching him demonstrate the poses.
When I first entered the yoga room and the heat smacked me in the face, I thought - I am paying a sitter so I can do this to myself. It got worse! The bursitis in my shoulder made the initial breathing exercises painful. I could run a marathon but couldn't make it through the "warm-up" breathing in yoga. Plus, she wanted me to reach my forehead where? Did I hear it correctly? My ideas about fluffy yoga were changing quickly.
Over a year has passed and I am still here. My friend asked me if it got boring practicing the same poses each time. No! Each class is very different. Some early morning classes I can't even see my toes much less get my forehead anywhere near them. Then, it is so rewarding to have a class where I actually "lock my legs" or "lift up another inch" or exceed the expectations that I set. I see improvement in almost every class.
Yoga has helped me with my endurance and therefore improved my running. I actually concentrate on my breathing now which has been a tremendous improvement in my practice. I used to hold my breath in the postures I didn't like! Also, my bursitis doesn't bother me as much unless I miss too many classes.
Personally, the greatest challenge and benefit from practicing yoga has been learning to be still!!! I have always been in perpetual motion - always something to do or some child needs something. In yoga I have to be still or the instructor will yell at me. Seriously, I have to focus on myself. Life stays outside the doors. To me, that is a huge benefit. After all, what is 90 minutes in the whole scheme of things?
Finally, when my children ask me about yoga I tell them I am also learning a foreign language - Namaste.
