Monday, February 16, 2009

What is she saying?

Yoga

My friend invited me to join a free trial yoga class. The floors were cushioned, the room a comfortable temperature with inviting decorations of classic Asian style and the quite of the room stilled my fluttering heart. My relationship with yoga as with my body is filled with a battling feelings. In western society I am inflexible, however in Asian society I might as well be the branch off of a tree as far malleability goes. Our teacher spoke only in Korean and bent her body as she willed it while I struggled to touch my toes or to split my legs further than a thirty degree angle. For the most part I find yoga relaxing, it is an exercise that puts one in touch with their body and if one allows it helps to release stress like balloons into the blue sky. But yoga in Korean wasn't so relaxing. Rather, I found myself in moments that were designed to be relaxing stressful as I understood nothing of what she was saying therefore I never knew when my eyes should be opened nor when we were starting a new pose. Rather than sinking into the floor and tucking away my thoughts, I nervously awaited the next movement, always alert and on watch. Ten minutes were instructions on breathing, however I sat listening to her soothing voice wondering what I was supposed to do. Was I supposed to breath in through my nose and out through my mouth like while doing cardio? I thought I remembered breathing technique in yoga to be different my my memories escaped me. I knew I should sit still, lower my shoulders from their positions directly under my ears, but I kept thinking. I was imprisoned in my thoughts and her words couldn't release me.

If the classes were free or cheaper, I might join, however they are far from free, not my cheapskate idea of cheap and not as relaxing as I would prefer therefore unfortunately I will keep my yoga to that one free trial class. I will have to find other ways to relax... just remember to breath.

3 comments:

Belle (from Life of a...) said...

I did yoga for awhile and loved it. Unfortunately, I had to drive about a half hour to get there because my hick community doesn't have such. The drive there was fine but by the time I got back home through traffic afterwards all of the goodness had left me and I lost most of the benefits. Oh well...maybe one day!

Elizabeth said...

I always feel so good after yoga, but I don't do it nearly often enough.

I'm sorry things are working out as quickly as you had anticipated--is there any news?

Peter said...

Vanessa,

I think the problem is that your chakra wasn't open. Hehehe! Remember that???