This is only the third Ode I’ve ever written. The first was an Ode to My ‘Dawg’ and the second, My Fitness Dirty Word, was my Ode to Running. To be perfectly honest, I don’t think my Odes can be considered poems, but they are meant to show exaltation, so I opt to keep the not-politically-correct titles.
I’ve previously made mention of my smart niece; she cameos in my posts from time to time. She once asked if I “do yoga,” to which I replied, “No.” As she walked away, her response was simple. “You should.” She hasn’t been wrong about much, if we don’t consider the time she counted me in as someone who would enjoy scuba diving. Her Yoda-like wisdom gave me the gut feeling that she knew what she was talking about. So, Back-Then Me made a mental note to give yoga a whirl when presented with the opportunity.
Post university, my life choices guided my reading choices towards Self-Help titles. It seems there’s a non-fiction book written to help a person through any experience imaginable. My path traveled has prompted me to read books about divorcing, parenting, undesirable jobs, finances, addictions, physical fitness and, most recently, leukemia. I bet there’s a book specifically written for humans too scared to scuba dive, but I only read subjects in which I care to improve upon.
In all of the Self-Help books, whether authors were focused on mental or physical improvements, like my smart niece, they suggested Yoga. Meditation, which I’ve previously written about, was also consistently mentioned. I mustn’t have been as poetic in nature during that blog post, though, since Ode didn’t make the title on that one. Both yoga and meditation are easy enough to do at home, but, for me, if an activity is simple to do, it’s also simple to skip. My accountability is enhanced when I pay a facility to do yoga under their guidance, not to mention that the instructors who have dedicated hours to the practice, truly know more about stretching than yours truly.
The opportunity for me to do yoga came when I passed a sign offering 21 days of unlimited Yoga for $30. Now Me knows a deal when I see one. Upon attending my first class, I discovered that when I’m in a yoga class, I’m unreachable to the world for an hour. As a mom of 4, I can’t say this about any other moment of my day, even when I’m on the toilet. This fact alone made me enjoy the practice. While focused on postures, I’m not thinking about a grocery list or needed insurance updates or work schedules or doctor’s appointments. This “me time” is also one of the reasons I love time on the treadmill, but I realize that running is a hard sell for most.
Yoga, on the other hand, is for everyBODY – meaning, every shape, age, and ability is aided by yoga. The instructors provide various options for different levels throughout class and always remind you it’s your body, your practice. Constantly being encouraged to only do what you want to do makes for a very welcoming environment. A cancer survivor worried that she couldn’t do yoga because of the chemotherapy-induced neuropathy in her toes, however, I’ve attended a class in which I didn’t have to stand even once. Another cancer patient lamented he’s too inflexible try. I assured him that this actually means the exact opposite since being inflexible shows an irrefutable need for yoga. The various types of classes offered make it easy to simply choose the class based on what the body and mind needs on any particular day.
I’ve had another friend say she’s not serious enough for yoga, so let’s just get this out there- I have heard someone fart in class. For whatever reason, I didn’t find that funny in the moment. However, I’ve also heard someone snore during the last resting posture of the class, and that almost made me laugh. I’ve attended a HOTT class, in which the temperature of the room is a balmy 100 degrees to help muscles move more deeply into a stretch. I got a good giggle watching my sweat form a puddle on the mat. I attended a class with the live sounds of a didgeridoo. (If you have never heard one, please do yourself a solid: stop right now, click here, and listen.) Looking around at stranger’s bodies sprawled around a dim room while hearing those live didgeridoo sounds was hilarious and had anyone made eye contact with me, raucous laughter would have ensued. I ‘ve heard more than one instructor say we all look so serious, followed by an instruction to smile and we’ve been reminded during class that this is just yoga. So, yes, there may be a time when someone loses their absolute shit with laughter at some point during yoga. But…so what? Laughing is good for us! There will always be another class or studio to attend if the shame of inappropriately-timed laughing is too much to bear.
An acquaintance told me she tried yoga and she didn’t like it because of all of the “breathing.” It’s interesting how that one thing that keeps us in existence can be found annoying. I don’t find it surprising that the skill we are innately born with, when focused upon, is a key component to making our lives better. In yoga we are reminded to fill up with air and empty out, which I now find myself remembering to do during other activities of my day, namely, while enduring bad traffic or boredom at work. Yoga and meditation force our focus on our breaths which causes negative thinking to take a break. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to split your attention towards two things at once?
Yoga is suggested for both physical and mental ailments. Apparently, what keeps the body flexible also enhances the pliability of the mind. At the beginning of most classes, it’s suggested for yogis to set an intention. A few times during class, a prompt is given to bring your intention back to mind. My intention often is to dedicate my practice for the day to someone I wish to support spiritually. I’ve also set my intention on improving a part of me that needs betterment. Another word for these intentions is prayers. And so, I would like to close now with a prayer, for you, my reader: I humbly hope that you consider – in the words of my intelligent niece, to do yoga.