Breaking the comfort zone: yoga

So going along with the theme of smashing comfort zones, I did something this weekend that I haven't done in literally a decade - yoga! I realize that everyone and their mother is already on the yoga bandwagon, but better late than never, right?

To be honest, I've never been too drawn to yoga. I did one class in college and wasn't too impressed. I remember laying there on my back breathing in, breathing out, and all I could think about was how the college gymnasium floor was kinda gross and that it was really hot and smelled like sweat. So much for letting your thoughts go, right? At the end I was like, what is this, I feel no different! I demand enlightenment! All my anxiety should be gone! or something along those lines. I always thought of yoga to be used as one of three things - 1. to gain or enhance your spirituality, 2. to reduce anxiety and relax, or 3. to stretch out your muscles. I'm not a very spiritual person, I can handle any anxiety I have pretty well, and I can stretch for free in my own home. So, why do yoga?

Another misconception I had is that yoga is easy. You just sort of flow from movement to movement right? Hahahaha. I would see pictures on Instagram like, tree pose and whatever that one is where you stand on one leg and snake your leg around the other one and your arms too and balance? NBD right?

Just smiling, chillin in eagle pose. FALSE ADVERTISING, ACTUALLY VERY DIFFICULT

Cut to: Saturday morning, yoga studio (HOT yoga mind you), with my friend Jackie. I was pretty nervous because I am such a noob when it comes to yoga. Like, nooby enough to ask if you wear sneakers during yoga class. I did go in knowing a few basic poses (1.downward dog which I am terrible at due to tight hamstrings that I rarely stretch, whoops, 2. warrior pose, 3. sitting indian style? does that count? 4. the sun thing where you stand and sweep your hands up to the sky? or something) but I was praying that the teacher wouldn't just be like "Ok class, now we will sweep into shavanuyuyasunana pose" and the whole class would contort into like, a literal flower, transformer style, and I'd be like WHAT ARE YOU.

And so, with my trepidations in tow, off to yoga we went. Ninety minutes later, I was almost literally a puddle of sweat on a borrowed mat and I felt freaking awesome.

There were some great things right off the bat about this yoga class. It was a small class - only seven of us total I think - and the instructor was excellent at welcoming all levels. If I was struggling to stay up in a certain pose, she would gently remind the class that we could put our back knee down for more support if needed (boom, knee to the ground). Or she'd remind us we could use a block, or just revert into child's pose. But she'd also say things to challenge the advanced people, like, "if you have a warrior level 18 pose you like to take here, feel free to challenge yourself" (obviously I just made that up), and then basically people would turn into ACTUAL warriors. Level 18 is crazy. I also just made that up.

"Saturday morning: a level 18 yoga class leaves the studio."

 Things I learned:

1. Yoga is hard. Like, really hard. It's a serious workout. So much for "just stretching," lol. My legs were on fire and I thought a number of times that I wouldn't be able to make it through the whole 90 minutes. There were people there who were at the same level as myself I'd say, and then there were people who were like, handstanding and practically break dancing (at a much slower pace than actual break dancing. Slow-break-dancing). This dude next to me was doing some crazy poses and barely broke a sweat.

This was happening 6 feet to my left. I don't even.

2. Speaking of sweat, I don't think I've ever sweat so much in my entire life. We'd be in downward dog and every 5 seconds I'd have another drop come off my nose onto my mat. Drop. Drop. Drop.

3. My balancing skills need a lot of work. Every time we did something where we balanced on one foot I felt like one of those inflatable air dancing things.

WHOOOAAAAAA

4. I felt really good afterwards. Not in some crazy enlightenment way, and I'm not about to change my whole mindset and start following Buddha or anything. But I felt really relaxed and refreshed and overall, really good.

Would I do it again? Absolutely. I would love to make progress with this and get better at some of these poses. I'm actually pretty excited to try it again. I see a new yoga mat in my future....