At the Breathe Yoga Studio taking an intimate yoga class with five students.

I had the opportunity to take a Yoga class at a ladies only retreat I attended called Breathing Space.  The whole weekend was really wonderful.  Full of Pleasant Events I’m dying to tell you all about.  First on my list to share with you was the Yoga Class at Breathe, a Yoga Studio in SoDa Row in Daybreak.

I have heard people talking about yoga classes and the crazy postures they try to get themselves into.  I’ve also heard people talk about how difficult yoga can be.  This seemed odd, especially since the Wii Fit always complements my yoga performances even though I have no real experience.  Since practicing yoga is #208 on the list, I decided to check it out and have real yoga instructor instead of an electronic one who loves everything I do.

Now that I have actually done yoga I must say that I stand corrected, and my Wii must be full of crap!

First, crazy positions.  For the most part, the positions weren’t all that crazy, but they did require a surprising amount of strength and balance to maintain.  I’ve been taking a weight lifting class twice a week for the last year.  I thought that would give me plenty of strength.  I was wrong though.  I felt like I had the minimum amount of strength it required to hold the postures without falling over.  The reality is I did fall over. A lot.

Performing a nice yoga stretch. Interesting angle for a photo, yes?

Second, difficulty.  Now I see what they were talking about.  Yes, Yoga is difficult.  It’s difficult to stand and balance.  It’s not so bad for 15 or 20 minutes, but an hour’s worth of yoga positions will take it out of you.  I admit I started really watching the clock after about 30 minutes.

One position called Crane Pose proved I was a yoga novice.  It was tremendously difficult.  I thought the instructor was crazy if she thought the rest of us could do this.  Just as this crossed my thoughts, I saw the toes of the other class members start to rise into the air.

Here's the Crane Pose. If you can do this I'll give you a dollar.

I desperately scrambled to accomplish the pose, but was NOT successful.  The instructor gave me a foam block to rest my head on.  After receiving the cheat, I was able to perform this pose for about 2 seconds.  Now, a day and a half later my shoulders are SO SORE.  I can only guess it’s from the pressure I put on my shoulders during my many attempts to “Crane” myself.

Speaking of soreness, my whole body is sore today!  I didn’t see this coming.  I am a fairly active person and I didn’t think a bunch of slow stretching would be hard on me, but it was.

The last part of the class was my favorite.  Relaxation.  I had a Hypnobirth with my second child and because of that, I got really good at relaxation techniques. As the instructor talked us through the relaxation, I very quickly reverted back to my hypno-relaxations. It felt VERY good.

Lying on the floor with our eyes closed, the instructor misted us with an essential oil fragrance as she softly spoke. I really thought I was in heaven.  All the effort of the strenuous class was worth it for what I am claiming was the five most relaxing minutes of my life.  It was incredible.  I’d do it all again just for that.  I want to go to there again.  It was SOOOOOO nice!

On of the ladies in the class brought this happy baby boy who cooed and play and made the most delightful baby noises until he gave into the calming influences of the yoga happening all around him.

I’m glad I tried Yoga.  Even though it was difficult and I felt a little awkward, I can see how people get addicted to it.  My body felt so good the rest of the day.  I felt like I moved so fluidly all day.  I felt very bendy and good.

If you get a chance to try yoga, say YES!

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