When I tell people I’m new to yoga, they’re often surprised. Trust, I’m a little surprised with myself too. I am all about meditating every day, the mind-body connection, and going inside. So why didn’t I start doing yoga way before August of this year? There’s a couple reasons:
I used to think it wasn’t a “rigorous” enough exercise for me
Once I stopped exercising altogether, I was afraid that any type of exercise would plummet me back into my disordered eating
My mom used to try and get me to do it when I was younger, and naturally, I just wanted to rebel and do the opposite
With all that being said, after meaning to try yoga for awhile and going through a breakup that sent me into a need for as much inner peace as possible, I took my first yoga class.
By the end of it I was sweaty, hot, and truly questioning whether or not I did any chaturangas correctly. Though I didn’t have some huge defining moment like I did when I first meditated, I wanted to try more. Thanks to the studio’s two weeks of unlimited yoga offer for newcomers, I went five times in two weeks. I guess you can say I was just a little bit intrigued.
In the beginning, I had the idea that yoga would be a way that I could calm my mind and release any physical tension I had in my body. What I ended up experiencing in my practice was so much more. Here’s how I’ve been gettin’ down in yoga, with a couple confessions from my beginner yogi self:
I am always only 88% sure that I’m doing my chaturanga correctly
I recently overcame my fear of falling head first out of crow pose by falling head first out of crow pose (twice)
Tree and eagle pose have been a big source of growing my confidence and trust within myself
Whether the heat is on or not, I will always sweat a ton and therefore hot yoga towels are essential for my mat and my face
In fact, during my first class I did not have a hot yoga towel and was slipping and sliding on my mat until the nice teacher recommended I use a towel
I could stay in pigeon pose forever
I once found myself with what felt like a ridiculously sore tailbone and a class that focused on the lower back completely took away my pain
Through yoga, I am feeling a newfound sense of faith in myself and my body
Connecting breath with movements is a sure way to feel the true definition of a mind-body connection
I could go on and on, but I don’t want to keep you here forever! The point is, I’m new at this and that’s the most fun and exhilarating part about it all. I don’t let the pictures on Instagram of people doing these crazy complicated poses freak me out because this is my own personal journey.
I didn’t start yoga with the intention to alter my body in any way. Instead, my mission was and still is to connect with myself on the deepest level I can. It's not about racing to get to a level where I can be more advanced. It's about the journey I'm taking with my body. It's about the sense of clarity I feel after savasana. It's about the love that I am feeling for myself in a way that I haven't before.
Through yoga I have found peace when life feels most chaotic, confidence and patience within myself, and above all else, a new passion.