It is truly worth calling a studio and letting them know what you have going on, if your a beginner, any new or old injuries, prior to attending class. The super flexible need to be careful of overextending joints, and the not so flexible, like myself, need to work within their own limits. And what you can do on one side of your body may be vastly different than the other side. Definitely start with a beginners class, and ask for modifications if they are not being offered up, as there is usually a similar pose to get a similar result.
A yoga class is typically structured as such:
- Usually starting seated on your yoga mat, the instructor may set an intention like letting go of fear or negativity or setting aside your to-do list.
- The teacher usually next asks you to focus on you breath. Then encourages you to keep this ease of breathing and leads the class with some warm up poses. If your breathing is compromised, you are most likely beyond your limits!
- The rest of the class progresses through poses that might be seated, standing, sidelying, prone, or any combination of! The poses have Sanskrit names, and an English translation. For instance, Downward Dog is translated from Adho Mukha Svanasana.
- The last pose of a session is called Savasana, or Corpse Pose, where you get to just lay on your back and relax. I have fallen asleep during this wonderful let-it-all-go part of class.
Lastly, be careful with yourself and stop if you are overextended. Whenever I need a break in class, I take Child's Pose or Balasana.
From Cathy:
To be completely honest, this hasn't been the best week. The workout stuff is going really well. I am feeling good, I have more endurance, and I am looking forward to my walks (even in the heat). But I'm participating in this divorce recovery program this week in the evenings and I think it's consuming a lot of my time and eating up a lot of my mental energy. I'm also working through some legal stuff and that's always hard too. Anyhow, I've tried writing this post about going to a yoga class at least three times and feel like it sounds depressing which isn't at all how I feel about the class or the workout program. If anything the workouts have been a saving grace. They help clear my head and let me refocus my attention in the present and not revisiting the past or stressing about the future.
I guess that's why the tone of this post is so important to me. I am getting a lot better physically and I think it's helping me to feel a lot clearer mentally. My mood is better, my tension is reduced, and my energy is increasing. So while things aren't perfect this week and I'm stressed and I'm tired, it's important that I properly convey how much worse it could be if I wasn't getting out and moving.
With that, I went to yoga on Sunday...
This month's challenge was to take a beginner yoga class. It was my idea. Overall, I have been feeling really good this month as I get more comfortable with the walks. My body has started to crave more movement (which is really cool) so I thought I could add a little something else to my workout program. I also figured that practicing yoga will be incredibly beneficial to me while I'm healing from some emotional stuff. As I understand it, yoga can help significantly reduce tension, relax muscles, and improve strength - all things that I could super use help with.
Having said that, it's kind of surprising (even to me) that I suggested yoga. I have tried yoga on a number of occasions but never really got to a point where a yoga class left me feeling like I got enough of a workout (see unhealthy thinking in my previous post). At the same time, I didn't feel more relaxed after class either. A lot of times I would end up getting frustrated while struggling with a pose or get mad at my body for lacking basic flexibility. But, in the spirit of starting over, I am erasing my memories of yoga not being super great and trying again.
I found Northville Yoga Center using "the Google." Mostly I chose this studio because I liked their philosophy (which you can get a sense of from their homepage) but they are also reasonably priced and offer a good number and variety of classes. For all the classes I've taken in my life, I don't know much about the different types of yoga. I've tried Bikram (hot yoga) but that's pretty intense and the heat would be too much for me right now. When I dug into what each of the classes are I decided to try the Hatha class. I'm sure Beth can tell you more about Hatha but I chose it because what I read made it seem like it used the building blocks of yoga poses and would be a good starting point.
So like I said, making yoga my challenge this month was my idea. But that doesn't mean I wasn't intimidated by the prospect of being the only beginner in the class. To make me more comfortable and be accountable to someone so I didn't back out, I dragged a good friend with me to test out the class. We went to a 9:20 am session on a Sunday. The instructor greeted us as we entered the studio and was super nice. Honestly, it made me wonder why I ever feel intimidated by these classes. I've never met a mean yoga instructor. They are always super nice and super helpful and just glad that I'm there (they also seem super at peace - almost zen-like in their calmness and energy). Anyhow, we told her we were beginners so she could anticipate that we might need extra instruction/help with the poses. If you are a first timer at a class I always think it's helpful to let the instructor know. We obviously didn't really know what we'd need for the class and she helped us pick up the tools the class would be using: mat, blanket, bolster, and block.
The yoga space itself was really cool. The room wasn't huge and was set up so the instructor was in the center so it was easy to see her. She also dimmed the lights, lit some candles, and played soothing music. I felt relaxed in the space and we hadn't even started!
The class started of slow and I really, really liked that. For our first pose, the instructor had us align the bolster with our spine and lay back on it. She then had us stretch our arms out so that we formed a "T" (here is a picture of what we were doing). That seems like a pretty basic movement right? Well it wasn't, not for me. I felt like there was a rope tied to each of my wrists and when I reached out my arms the rope was being stretched and I could feel a strong pull across my chest. It was so eye opening for me.
When I first came up to Michigan in January after the separation I was kind of a mess. Mentally, I was distraught. Physically, I was so anxious that I was visibly tense and stiff in my movement. I've worked hard across the last six months to get to a better place and while I had reduced my anxiety and tension significantly, I am clearly still carrying around much of the physical burden. Honestly, for me it was a revelation that this tension was still such a big problem. Since this yoga class, my awareness of the clenching and tension has increased significantly. I still need to learn better techniques for reducing it in the moment, but identifying it feels like a big step.
So as the class progressed the poses became more challenging - moving from the floor to our knees and then up to a standing position. The kneeling poses really hurt my knees but I learned that you can put a blanket under your mat (perpendicular to mat) and that will add some cushioning without disrupting your poses. By the time we got to the standing poses, I was working up a sweat. If I'm being totally honest, this part was hard and not super fun. I felt uncoordinated and didn't totally know what I was doing. But fortunately I recognized my unhealthy thinking and responded by reminding myself that I am new to this and much of the experience is in enjoying the journey, so I tried to relax and kept going. That doesn't mean it was fine after that, it was still hard, but I pressed on. I also started to focus on time at this point and was kind of ready to be done. Fortunately, there was no clock in the room so I couldn't divert my attention to watching the the minutes tick by. And after the most difficult movements we did go back to some super relaxing closing poses that felt really good.
At the end of class we packed up our stuff and walked out of the studio. A woman from the class approached us and told us that it was a really hard class for a first session and we should feel great for getting through it. First of all, that was really nice of her to go out of her way to make us feel included. Secondly, compared to other classes I've taken, this one seemed like a super good beginner class because the poses weren't complex contortions that left me feeling like I was trying to bend myself into a pretzel so I was surprised to hear that an experienced yoga practitioner found it challenging as well.
I have to say, walking out of that class I realized that I felt lighter than I can remember. My muscles were tired and I felt so refreshed and relaxed. I'm not making that up! I really did! I couldn't believe how grateful I was for that feeling. The tension that I went into the class with had been lifted and I felt happy and calm. I don't know if that feeling is the result of an overall improvement in my thought patterns and well-being or if it was just a really good class to start out with. Either way, I immediately began to plan my next visit. I have rearranged my schedule this weekend to go again - which is shocking to me that I liked it that much.
I can't say I'm "hooked" yet, although I could totally see that happening, but I do think even adding one session a week to let go of the stress (even if it does still come back a few hours later) would be so healthy for my body and my soul. I hope I can start implementing some of the concepts from the class into my daily life (ex. focus on your breath) to help me reduce tension on an ongoing basis as part of the healing process.
I really didn't think going to yoga would be any different this time than it has been when I've gone before. I haven't isolated exactly what made this class so special. Maybe my attitude is better this time around? Maybe letting go of some unhealthy thoughts allowed me to stay focused? Maybe I'm just more determined? Regardless, that yoga class made a significant difference in my overall mental an physical health and I am excited to go back.
From Cathy:
To be completely honest, this hasn't been the best week. The workout stuff is going really well. I am feeling good, I have more endurance, and I am looking forward to my walks (even in the heat). But I'm participating in this divorce recovery program this week in the evenings and I think it's consuming a lot of my time and eating up a lot of my mental energy. I'm also working through some legal stuff and that's always hard too. Anyhow, I've tried writing this post about going to a yoga class at least three times and feel like it sounds depressing which isn't at all how I feel about the class or the workout program. If anything the workouts have been a saving grace. They help clear my head and let me refocus my attention in the present and not revisiting the past or stressing about the future.
I guess that's why the tone of this post is so important to me. I am getting a lot better physically and I think it's helping me to feel a lot clearer mentally. My mood is better, my tension is reduced, and my energy is increasing. So while things aren't perfect this week and I'm stressed and I'm tired, it's important that I properly convey how much worse it could be if I wasn't getting out and moving.
With that, I went to yoga on Sunday...
This month's challenge was to take a beginner yoga class. It was my idea. Overall, I have been feeling really good this month as I get more comfortable with the walks. My body has started to crave more movement (which is really cool) so I thought I could add a little something else to my workout program. I also figured that practicing yoga will be incredibly beneficial to me while I'm healing from some emotional stuff. As I understand it, yoga can help significantly reduce tension, relax muscles, and improve strength - all things that I could super use help with.
Having said that, it's kind of surprising (even to me) that I suggested yoga. I have tried yoga on a number of occasions but never really got to a point where a yoga class left me feeling like I got enough of a workout (see unhealthy thinking in my previous post). At the same time, I didn't feel more relaxed after class either. A lot of times I would end up getting frustrated while struggling with a pose or get mad at my body for lacking basic flexibility. But, in the spirit of starting over, I am erasing my memories of yoga not being super great and trying again.
I found Northville Yoga Center using "the Google." Mostly I chose this studio because I liked their philosophy (which you can get a sense of from their homepage) but they are also reasonably priced and offer a good number and variety of classes. For all the classes I've taken in my life, I don't know much about the different types of yoga. I've tried Bikram (hot yoga) but that's pretty intense and the heat would be too much for me right now. When I dug into what each of the classes are I decided to try the Hatha class. I'm sure Beth can tell you more about Hatha but I chose it because what I read made it seem like it used the building blocks of yoga poses and would be a good starting point.
So like I said, making yoga my challenge this month was my idea. But that doesn't mean I wasn't intimidated by the prospect of being the only beginner in the class. To make me more comfortable and be accountable to someone so I didn't back out, I dragged a good friend with me to test out the class. We went to a 9:20 am session on a Sunday. The instructor greeted us as we entered the studio and was super nice. Honestly, it made me wonder why I ever feel intimidated by these classes. I've never met a mean yoga instructor. They are always super nice and super helpful and just glad that I'm there (they also seem super at peace - almost zen-like in their calmness and energy). Anyhow, we told her we were beginners so she could anticipate that we might need extra instruction/help with the poses. If you are a first timer at a class I always think it's helpful to let the instructor know. We obviously didn't really know what we'd need for the class and she helped us pick up the tools the class would be using: mat, blanket, bolster, and block.
The yoga space itself was really cool. The room wasn't huge and was set up so the instructor was in the center so it was easy to see her. She also dimmed the lights, lit some candles, and played soothing music. I felt relaxed in the space and we hadn't even started!
The class started of slow and I really, really liked that. For our first pose, the instructor had us align the bolster with our spine and lay back on it. She then had us stretch our arms out so that we formed a "T" (here is a picture of what we were doing). That seems like a pretty basic movement right? Well it wasn't, not for me. I felt like there was a rope tied to each of my wrists and when I reached out my arms the rope was being stretched and I could feel a strong pull across my chest. It was so eye opening for me.
When I first came up to Michigan in January after the separation I was kind of a mess. Mentally, I was distraught. Physically, I was so anxious that I was visibly tense and stiff in my movement. I've worked hard across the last six months to get to a better place and while I had reduced my anxiety and tension significantly, I am clearly still carrying around much of the physical burden. Honestly, for me it was a revelation that this tension was still such a big problem. Since this yoga class, my awareness of the clenching and tension has increased significantly. I still need to learn better techniques for reducing it in the moment, but identifying it feels like a big step.
So as the class progressed the poses became more challenging - moving from the floor to our knees and then up to a standing position. The kneeling poses really hurt my knees but I learned that you can put a blanket under your mat (perpendicular to mat) and that will add some cushioning without disrupting your poses. By the time we got to the standing poses, I was working up a sweat. If I'm being totally honest, this part was hard and not super fun. I felt uncoordinated and didn't totally know what I was doing. But fortunately I recognized my unhealthy thinking and responded by reminding myself that I am new to this and much of the experience is in enjoying the journey, so I tried to relax and kept going. That doesn't mean it was fine after that, it was still hard, but I pressed on. I also started to focus on time at this point and was kind of ready to be done. Fortunately, there was no clock in the room so I couldn't divert my attention to watching the the minutes tick by. And after the most difficult movements we did go back to some super relaxing closing poses that felt really good.
At the end of class we packed up our stuff and walked out of the studio. A woman from the class approached us and told us that it was a really hard class for a first session and we should feel great for getting through it. First of all, that was really nice of her to go out of her way to make us feel included. Secondly, compared to other classes I've taken, this one seemed like a super good beginner class because the poses weren't complex contortions that left me feeling like I was trying to bend myself into a pretzel so I was surprised to hear that an experienced yoga practitioner found it challenging as well.
I have to say, walking out of that class I realized that I felt lighter than I can remember. My muscles were tired and I felt so refreshed and relaxed. I'm not making that up! I really did! I couldn't believe how grateful I was for that feeling. The tension that I went into the class with had been lifted and I felt happy and calm. I don't know if that feeling is the result of an overall improvement in my thought patterns and well-being or if it was just a really good class to start out with. Either way, I immediately began to plan my next visit. I have rearranged my schedule this weekend to go again - which is shocking to me that I liked it that much.
I can't say I'm "hooked" yet, although I could totally see that happening, but I do think even adding one session a week to let go of the stress (even if it does still come back a few hours later) would be so healthy for my body and my soul. I hope I can start implementing some of the concepts from the class into my daily life (ex. focus on your breath) to help me reduce tension on an ongoing basis as part of the healing process.
I really didn't think going to yoga would be any different this time than it has been when I've gone before. I haven't isolated exactly what made this class so special. Maybe my attitude is better this time around? Maybe letting go of some unhealthy thoughts allowed me to stay focused? Maybe I'm just more determined? Regardless, that yoga class made a significant difference in my overall mental an physical health and I am excited to go back.
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| Cathy in her best zen pose |
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