By Peb B
Part of my quest for self improvement is the implementing of an exercise program that really fits my interests and capacities. I'm no couch potato, but neither am I a pumped up muscular guy. I am the average height and weight proportional guy.
I have given alot of thought to the style of regular exercise that I would partake of regularly. The stationary bikes, stair climbers, and weight machines at the standard gym tend to bore me fairly quickly, andd thereby I tend to drop my routine. Swimming and jogging are ok by me.
However I am not particularly interested in either one for long term regular exercise.
A, what I thought at the time, strange idea entered my mind. Yoga. I knew a few people who practiced yoga and swore by it. I became resolved that I would seek out a yoga outlet and give it a try. To my surprise, there were dozens of yoga "gyms" and classes in my community, and thus finding one nearby was an easy task.
Talking with the receptionist was a different experience altogether. I let it be known that I was interested in a beginner's class, assuming yoga was, well, yoga. The lovely voice from the other end of the phone asked if i was interested in Hatha, Ashtanga, Kundalini, or Bikram yoga. In all honesty I felt like she was reading the menu from an Indian Restaurant to me. It was explained that Hatha Yoga is the mthod that most of us are already accustomed to to some degree. Thus I enrolled. Eleven classes for ninety dollars. Not a bad price at all, yet I had no idea what to expect.
I was told to wear loose fitting, comfortable clothing and that we were to be barefoot. I moved ahead with some trepidation, picturing myself surrounded by twenty first century "hippies". To my surprise the class was a mix of age ranges, genders, and physical condition. I would assume the youngest were in their early twenties, ranging upwards to the early fifties.
We were given mats, and our instructor informed us that her mother, a senior citizen had become interested in, and was practicing yoga.
The lights were dim, the mood very relaxed. We sat in comforable positions and repeated three times the famous "auuum" chant. This was followed up by some truly beautiful chanting by our instructor, who then gently eased us into a variety of positions or poses interspersed with brief meditations. Before I knew it the 90 minute class was over. I was not exhausted and sweaty. In fact, I felt very relaxed, and physically I felt like I had given myself a full body massage. I was sold on it. The people in the class all looked serene and satisfied.
My particular locale has a menu to choose from in terms of courses, and I for one, am looking forward to sampling them all with my newfound exercise. Yoga.
Peb shares his thoughts. http://www.pebb401.wordpress.com/
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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 10:27 AM
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