For a long while I have thought Yoga might be a good solution for my arthritic knees and functional fitness as I stare 60 in the face. Imagine my surprise when B agreed to join me. He has his own fitness reasons. So we headed down to the local studio for our first session where we entered a foreign country with its unique vocabulary and protocol. You "practise" yoga which suggests something way different than "doing" yoga. Like you might become good at this. Try out for Cirque Soleil sometime. The asanas have special names "niyama, pranayama, pratyahara" but these aren't sticking. Downward dog (or in B's case "dirty dog"), sun salutation, child's pose are more meaningful. We were instructed on the principle of Vinyasa where we exhale through the throat making a very unique sound. F has mastered this without the benefit of their instruction for sometimes when he goes into his corner disgusted with our inattention he makes that exact sound. If practise makes perfect, I have more practise to do. Was my body really designed to be a human pretzel? Some poses are impossibly challenging to my balance and core not to mention the breathing while doing it? "Who's the blue faced lady in the back row?" Still after only two sessions, I can feel the effects of some of those stretches.
One more thing about this new country called Yoga - they almost exclusively wear Lulu Lemon clothing. While the LLL clothing allows the movements, it does make our nonLLL attire stick out. But at least at this studio they wear clothes. I checked out the hot bikrahm studio. That was just way too hot and way too creepy with all that flesh exposed.
The last 15 minutes are the best where we lay out on our mats, lights dimmed, mind and body at rest. I feel free and unencumbered. Light. Floating. So this is what relaxed feels like. I try to push out all the thoughts that clutter my mind. I'm almost asleep. And then the ping sound - did I really hear it - I wait for it again. I notice everyone around me moving. Wishing each other "amnesty" (I know that isn't what they are really saying but my hearing betrays me and this is what comes to my mind.) Within minutes B and I are out on the street a little less hurried back to stress.
B and I will go again. It's going to be our new thing we do together. Amnesty B. Thanks for coming.
6 comments:
i went with rax to a forrest yoga class yesterday. i can barely walk today. we both agreed it was one of the hardest (and best) classes we have done. it was hard because you have to hold the positions for what feels like an impossibly long time. the pace was fairly slow though, which normally i don't like, but in this class it was perfect and helped me feel like i had time to really get in to every pose.
i'm so glad you are taking this up! i am going to have to start practicing more so that you and dad don't put me to shame! oh ya i forgot yoga isn't supposed to be competitive.
also a word on lululemon....they may be expensive but they are the only yoga pants i know of that don't give the dreaded ctoe. you know what i mean? get some. they also make a bum look pretty good.
Good for you both! I'm not that brave. In fact, I think that F would be better than me at practicing the yoga - not just making the sound.
On the other hand, it would finally justify all the lululemon clothes I own. That would be the best part of the class - buying more lulu clothes!!
Plus - everytime I visit that dinner with Julie blog, I find a recipe to try. But the site makes me SO hungry!!
Good for you - especially enjoying the savasana. When I first started going to yoga and the instructor would talk us through he would say 'just breathe - you have nothing to do and no where to go' and I would be frantic thinking to mmyself 'what does he know???!!!'. And then I'd lay there in the silence and the dark worried that the instructor had fallen asleep and we's never be able to leave. But i've come to love it too - and can quiet my mind - at least for the 10 minutes! Let's go LuLu shopping!
so I went to yoga with Mercedes...and I am the retard in the class falling over all the time...and the instructor is trying to be all supportive and keeps reassuring me that is ok (when its obviously "distracting") and to breathe into my body (what does that even mean).
If the class had ended after thirty minutes I think I would have been able to undo my bra today. But after an hour and it was still going and then the instructor busts out, now everyone go into the splits, I was thinking girlfriend is smoking some paiotee. SHE HIGH! Apparently just I cant do the splits.
As for lululemon pants, a wise man once told me (Nathan) that he HATES lululemon pants because they make even girls with bad bums look like they got it going on..ka dunk d dunk junk in the trunk they like semi spanks.
love rachel.
More power to you Bonnie and B. I tried it once and it depressed me so bad to think I couldn't do any of it. So out of shape. I might do better at it now but just not my thing. Hope it works out for you.
Post a Comment