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| This is me, falling out of dancer's pose on Lamma Island. Balancing is harder on the sand than in the yoga studio! |
For my 50th birthday I decided to tackle
something I’ve wanted to do for a while: practice yoga consistently. I’ve done
yoga home videos and dvds over the years but it’s been pretty hit and miss. I
usually enjoyed following along but if the phone rang or someone (anyone) in
the house needed anything, yoga was abandoned for more “urgent” matters.
Then last January my son, Colton, told me about the 90-day yoga challenge
at his favorite studio, Be Hot Yoga, in St George. They encouraged participants to attend at
least three classes per week and offered a special rate for the 90-days. I joined and ended up averaging six classes per week except when I went out of town
for spring break.
The hot yoga was challenging. Holding poses correctly is
much more difficult than I thought it would be, especially in a hot, humid
room. Even though class was only 60
minutes long, it usually felt like forever before the wonderful final savasana
(corpse pose.)
I remember struggling through most of the classes and then
one day, about one month into it, I realized how much progress I’d made. I noticed my arms and legs were stronger and
more toned and hard poses weren’t as hard. I know yoga is all about acceptance
but I’m a competitive person by nature and I love results. While I did find it
easier to be kind and accepting of myself, I was also excited when I was able
to do my first chaturanga (like a yoga pushup) without plopping down belly
first.
I also lost a few pounds during the challenge. It wasn’t
because I was exercising more. In fact, I probably did fewer cardio workouts
while doing a daily yoga class. But I did notice that daily yoga helped make
life seem less stressful. I felt more peaceful, more grounded which meant less need for
comfort eating. Perhaps meditation class
is just as important as cardio for healthy weight loss.
On Fridays, Matt Fehrenbacker teaches a 75-minute version of
the foundation class. Which is wonderful and awful. It’s nice to have a bit of
extra time to really get into the poses, unless of course, it’s a pose that you
don’t necessarily want to really get into. I remember one day we were in a
warrior II pose for what felt like a painfully long time. I kept sending the
telepathic message “release the pose” to Matt but he wasn’t receiving and
stubbornly refused to say those magic words. I was about to tap out and escape
into child’s pose when he said something that really hit me. “This pose will
build your determination as well as your strength.” What???? I could actually use some more of that
determination stuff in my life. Could I really get it by holding my body in an
uncomfortable, silly shape? It must work a little because it took some
determination on my part not to slap Matt’s face as he walked by calmly talking to the class as though we all LOVE hanging out in Warrior II for endless
minutes. Let me just say it was an aha! moment for me.
And I must tell you about Matt’s mom, Jane Fehrenbacker. She
was the first person I met at Be Hot Yoga. She welcomed me and encouraged me
after I struggled through the first class. She’s like the yoga poster child.
Who raised a bazillion kids. And
survived to tell the tale. And is
soooooo loving and kind. She is such a bright light.
She is a beautiful, radiant, gray-haired grandma who kicks
yoga butt all day long. I was so impressed with her after that first class. And
even more so when I walked into a class the next week and she was teaching it!
Wow, I think I’m all out of excuses.
I’m not sure if it was the hard work, or the hot room, or
all that focused breathing, but lying on my mat after class was surreal. I would
breath slowly and deeply for a few minutes while most of the class quietly left
the room. By the time the last person left, the room would grow quiet and a
peace would descend on me like a fog. I stopped focusing on my breath and just
let go. I felt joyful and weightless, as though I was floating. It was a pretty
great way to start the day.
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| Building determination on the beach |
Be Hot Yoga hosted a party May 22nd for all the 90-day challenge participants. It was an opportunity for everyone to share their journey while enjoying yoga, food and music. I was sorry to miss it since we had left for Hong Kong the day before and didn't return until mid-June. But I think it's safe to say I am not the only one who found this challenge to be an eye-opening, life-changing experience.
