Yoga...Part 2

Ah...my second shot at active yoga. She was much easier on us, maybe only half my muscles will ache this time? But let me explain how this session worked.

She had us sit cross-legged on the floor on top of our blocks, hands on knees, palm up. She made that Ohm sound you hear about. Boy, was she good at it! It reverberated through my body. I had to check to make sure it wasn't coming from a CD. Nope. It was her. Very on-key. But I digress. Our job was to empty our minds and concentrate on each breath we inhaled and exhaled. At least, that's what I gathered. The acoustics are still lousy in the gym, and I'm still half-deaf. Okay, so I sat there, back straight, listening to the Ohms and half-wondered where she learned to make that sound the way she did...and then I stopped myself.

I was supposed to empty my mind, remember.

So I stared at the mat-covered walls of the gym and wondered what would happen if we had an earthquake. Where would I run? Was it safer to stand next to the wall? Never mind that I live in an area that doesn't get many earthquakes, and when there is an earthquake it's barely noticeable. Still, I remembered reading somewhere never to stand in a doorway, so I knew better than to hide there should the earth tremble and shake.

Then I remembered I was supposed to empty my mind.

But time was up, and all I had to show for it was a mental note to google earthquake evacuation when I returned home.

After we bent our limbs in unnatural positions for another 45 minutes, we returned to the state of emptying our minds, this time laying down on our mats, facing the ceiling. Relax, was the mantra. Relax and feel your breath go in and out...

Straight above me was the long, metal rod that held the curtain partition, which was now in the open position. I mused about the possibility that if the chains holding the rod in place were to break, it would come down and split my body in two.

This yoga stuff was not at all relaxing.

Finally, we were released back into the world. I stood, dusted myself off, and was ever grateful that sore muscles would be the only damage I'd end up with during my workout. So I suppose, in a way, I can't complain if I ache for a few days.

As if a mother could actually empty her mind. Right.

Yoga!

Today's workout was 25 minutes of the bike (dang Achilles heel pain still bugging me), followed by 55 minutes of what I call "painful yoga."

The last time I did yoga? Hm. Five years ago? Six? Painful then, too, if I recall. Why? Because if you aren't used to twisting like a pretzel, you're in for some major burn. The last time I took the class, an obese woman taught the class. (She was at least three-hundred pounds, I am not exaggerating). She had the agility of a cat. Balance on one leg while bringing the other one up to the ear? She could do that. Not me. Never me. Apparently weight has nothing to do with ability. Boy, I envied her.

Our instructor this time was much thinner than the last one, and although she didn't move as fluidly (I have yet to meet an individual who does), she was very good. Corrected me twice. That's okay, I can take being corrected. Except she had to repeat herself two or three times because I have horrible hearing and the acoustics in the gymnasium were so bad I never once fully understood a sentence she uttered. So I blinked, looked stupid until she coupled her words with body language. Maybe she figured I was an exchange student from South Dumbodia or something.

Anyhow, I have to say I love Child's Pose. I could fall asleep in Child's Pose. I was close to it a few times, since I ran my writer's group last night and chatted much too late into the night and still had to get the kids up for school the next morning. So Child's Pose was almost too comfy.

I highly recommend yoga--at least I do right now, we'll see how my muscles feel tomorrow--because it really gives your body a good stretch. Stretching makes you more flexible. You walk taller. Your muscles become leaner and stronger. It's relaxing as long as you aren't standing perpendicular to the floor on one leg, extending all limbs in various directions. But even when you balance yourself all crazy-like, afterwards your body feels better. There's a mood shift, and you may feel a little, well, giddy.

This will now become part of my weekly fitness plan. Maybe you'll want to try it, too? Doesn't matter if you weigh ninety pounds or three hundred. If I can do it, so can you.