Cat, dog, lion and dead bug. No, I didn’t go to the zoo or kill a spider in my apartment. Today, for the first time ever, I took yoga. For all the other non-yogis, cat, dog, lion and dead bug are all different poses.
I went into the class and found the instructor. I asked her if the class was for beginners and she said yes. She had two rules: (1) Listen to your body and don’t do anything that hurts or makes you feel uncomfortable and (2) breathe. I can to that, I thought.
So, I got my mat, took my shoes off (it’s definitely time for a pedicure), and situated myself right in front of the instructor. She took us through a series of relaxation stretches and a few basic poses.
Cat Pose
Lion Pose
Downward Dog Pose
Dead Bug Pose
Not bad.
Then, we moved on to some more difficult poses. This is where I broke out into a sweat.
I can’t remember the name of the pose, so I can’t find a picture of it, but it went something like this:
1. Your right shoulder and right cheek are flat against the mat. Your right knee is bent and on the mat for support. Your left leg is straight up in the air practically behind your back, and your left arm is up in the air
If you can picture that, you can see how difficult that might be. I literally fell over. I giggled and got right back into it.
I also found the lion pose (pictured above) very funny. Never during exercise have I ever stuck out my tongue, opened my eyes wide, and made a hissing sound. This was a first for me.
While it was a bit amusing, I can see why people do this. It was very relaxing but also a good source of exercise. I would encourage anyone who has never tried it to give it a chance.
When you do give it a try, there may be a few things that seem contradictory to your religious background. Yoga is rooted in the Hindu religion, so if that’s not the religion, you may feel like a few things don’t jive with your religious practices. But to be honest, I really felt that I could separate the very few things that felt contradictory to what I was used to, and I didn’t do those things. But I didn’t feel that they took away from the goal – to gain muscle and to stretch.
Are you a yoga virgin too? Would you try it?
If you’ve done yoga before, Do you remember the first time you took yoga? What did you think? Have you done it again? What advice would you have for a first-time yogi?
This post was inspired by all.things.fadra - Stream of Consciousness Sunday.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I love, love, love yoga. I think the world would be a better place if everyone practiced yoga. That being said, I haven’t done it in probably a year
I have a move coming up and I’m kind of waiting to find a new yoga studio. It’s been great for my body and mind but you have to let go those feelings of thinking you look ridiculous. You’ll be surprised at how relaxed, energized, and stronger you feel. Oh, and it has also given me a surprising amount of mental clarity. BONUS!
I have always wanted to try yoga, but so far haven’t gained the courage. I keep hearing (or reading) people talk about it, so now I’m more curious than ever. Would you be going back to do it again? Just curious – where did you go (since we’re local)?
I’ve been THINKING about yoga. But I have failed to get past that point. I understand that once you are in the practice of doing it… it’s quite relaxing.
When I actually have time to exercise I love doing yoga (but so far only in my house). I’m hoping this summer to take some yoga classes at the studio near my house. I have never seen the dead bug pose before.
I’ve only done yoga once in my life: I was a brand new nursing mom, and every time we did downward dog I started leaking. (How did I not know about breast pads? I have no clue.) All I know is, the instructor was young cute & very alarmed, and I was so mortified that I left, never to return. This was 8, almost 9 years ago.
Maybe I’ll try it again. Maybe.
Youga is something I definitely want to give a try…you made it sound like such a positive experience, I think i will try it sooner rather than later!