So, it's
been a minute (or, you know, "5 years"…yikes!) since I showed my
face--or the rest of my creaky middle-aged body, for that matter--in a yoga
studio. Initially I had to stop going when my left hand started acting up,
such that putting any weight on it, like in the downward dog pose, for example,
caused me agonizing pain. (Very much NOT what you’re seeking in an activity
that’s supposed to enhance one’s overall sense of calm, centeredness, and
physical well-being, amiright?) And unfortunately, right on the heels of
that issue, other body parts started clamoring for attention…luckily only one
at a time, but it was still enough…internal complaining…that I didn’t feel like
I was going to benefit from trying to go back.
But hey,
for whatever reason, the new year ushered in a fresh burst of optimism.
So even though I’ve accepted that at my age there will probably always
be some random joint or muscle or whatever giving me grief, I figured what the
heck, let's give it another shot. (I mean, what’s the worst that could
happen--it hurts and I need to quietly excuse myself? Eh, I’m
also old enough to be beyond embarrassment about these kinds of things,
so can live with that…)
Now,
don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t prepared to do anything crazy-pants, like
sign up for an entire series of classes. (Because that’s me: breezy,
plan-less, no-commitment chick, right? Ha! Never mind…) Instead I checked local
businesses for drop-in prices. (And let me tell ya, folks, there are a plethora
of options around here. Sheesh, you can’t swing the proverbial stick without
hitting a wellness-related establishment of some kind…’cuz apparently,
that’s just how we roll in Chapelboro, y’all…)
I found a
couple of intriguing sessions, where you either paid a flat $5 fee (perfect for
“testing the waters”, so to speak), or offered a donation of your choosing,
with the suggested amount being $5-$20. I registered for the less expensive Community
Class, which according to the website would be taught by an instructor-in-training
(hence the reduced cost, I’m sure). I decided that, given my own potential…complications…that
could crop up during the lesson, I was totally okay being a guinea pig
for someone else to hone their technique on…or what have you. After all, it’s yoga,
for crying out loud—how bad could it be?
So I dusted off my mat (literally,
since it’s been spending the long interval away from its true purpose by acting
as a…tushie cushioner…during bootcamp, outside on the grass or a gritty
basketball court) and showed up for the evening hour of zen. Our leader
first shared that her theme for the practice would be: showing some love
for…your feet! Seriously….could it BE more perfect? (Thanks, universe,
I get it--I’m supposed to be here…)
We began
by sitting cross-legged....weeeeell, in theory, at least, because
I quickly discovered that was gonna be a HARD PASS, as the hips were
vehemently making it known that they were having none of it. Ohhhhkaaay,
then…not such an auspicious start, but moving on to the next…oh, hello,
knees, how YOU doin’? They, also, had many things to say, which went
something along the lines of, “Ow! Not cool! What is this torture? We
hate this! What'd we ever do to YOU?" (I swear, they're sooooo
melodramatic...) Aaannnnnd, this was quickly followed by "A pleasant good
evening to you, shoulders!" who replied in a similar vein "What.
Is. The. Meaning of This? Dislike, Dislike! Cut it out right now!"
So yeah,
there was…all of THAT. Meanwhile, I’d
instigated a silent dialogue with…all of the protesting parts, in which I
admonished them “Shut up, we're stretching! It's helpful and necessary
for flexibility and good health, and blah blah blah. Get with the program!” (What,
everyone engages in internal shouting matches with their recalcitrant
appendages, right? It's totally normal! Mmm…let's go with that...thanks
for playing along...)
Although
this was not as distracting as you might imagine (probably because I talk to
myself all the time, so I’m used to it…wait, does that make me sound weird?
Oh well…) I still found myself struggling with some aspects of the poses…such
as “balance”. This was disturbing to me because when I used to
incorporate yoga regularly into my life, I enjoyed (but probably took for
granted, to be honest) a pretty good sense of equilibrium. However, I must
dejectedly report: that’s pfffft, GONE…yet hopefully only temporarily?
Memo to me: start working on building it back up, stat!
And then of
course there’s all the (attempted) reaching of...things. Or…ahem..not
so much. (Actual translation: hahahahaha you want me to put my hand where?
Nice try, lady. Let's try something else, shall we?) In short, I'm not
as limber as I believed I was...even with what I thought were
realistic expectations…siiighhh (Yeah, yeah, I suppose that happens when you're
lazy about incorporating the bending and whatnot into your daily routine. Who
knew? Right…absolutely everyone…my bad…)
Returning
to the tootsies that were meant to be the focus of this endeavor, the movements
seemed to aggravate ye olde plantar fasciitis, but I'm hoping that's a transitional
side effect and will fade back into the background over time if I resolve to
make this a weekly event. BUT, with all that being said, I’d definitely deem it
a positive experience, overall. And I strongly felt like...it could
eventually lead to restoring some of that erstwhile grace and flexibility that
I didn't even realize I was missing…but now am motivated to replenish!
So to sum
up: tomorrow I do expect to be sore…in various hot spots. And then, I'll plan
to do it all again next week, and see what happens from there. Nama…staytuned!
(Sorry!)
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