My month of yoga began with a busy brain and a funky hip.

A month a go I was feeling a bit out of whack. My brain was full of chaos, bouncing around multiple projects, running my own business and not being able to switch off – especially at bed time. Ugh.  I have a chronic problem with my hips/pelvis and when I don’t exercise enough it hurts and if I do too much of some things it hurts. I needed balance.

Over the years i’ve tried my hand at yoga classes at the gym where I first started my career at. Then at home with dvds and a very sweaty 2 weeks doing bikram yoga in a sweat box. Let me tell you, classes held at gyms are so different to those held at yoga studios.

I’d never done a class at a yoga studio before so began my search to find the perfect studio for me. I found one that really resonated with me, I liked the message on the website, I liked the vibe, I liked the new student $49 unlimited yoga for a month deal. It was time to jump on board and get myself sorted.

I wandered in to the studio like a shy lamb and was greeted warmly. Turns out I was the only one who had registered for that particular class so I received a one on one yoga session instead of the scheduled class. Wow. Just wow. It was intense, all attention was on me and who knew that subtle changes, positions, adjustments could cause so much pain, I mean work, I mean benefit.  Boy did I feel it… for the next couple of days. But the personal attention was incredible and I used yoga props for the first time… bolsters, blocks and straps are awesome!!

After the first class I knew I had found something that would change my life.   I felt like I had had a full body massage but worked reaaalllyy hard for it! haha

Once I could walk again I signed up to more classes (with more attendees). With each class I learnt something new about yoga, breathing, finding your connection with your breath, your body and your mind. My mind has never been good at single focus, so I was so appreciative of the clam I felt during classes and the calmness in my mind.

During my time as a trainer i’ve always recommended yoga as a complementary form of exercise to training programs. A lot of people think yoga is easy and you just do a lot of breathing and have a stretch. Well there is a lot of emphasis on breathing and you are stretching but it sure as heck isn’t easy.

 

Here is why I am now slightly addicted to yoga and never want to give it up.

• Strength. After just 4 weeks of doing just yoga a couple of times a week and walking, I already felt stronger and my muscles firmer. Yep after just a few weeks!!
• Flexibility. I can easy touch my toes and the floor now and for some reason, really like hanging out here having a stretch or ‘forward fold’ in yoga.
• Stress relief. I am the first to admit i’m a bit of a stress head, I worry, I overreact and I can’t turn my brain off. After my 3rd yoga class I met up with a friend and she said I was floating. I felt like nothing could stress me, nothing would get me stress-heady that day.
• Cross training benefit. I noticed with my first swim of the season, during my first lap where usually i’d realise i’d forgotten how to breath and what the heck was I doing, I could easily keep going and got into my groove immediately. Yoga has taught me how to breathe.
• Re-connect with my body. Now this sounds a bit fluffy but yoga has got me back in tune with my body, my mind, what’s going on and how I need to train, think and move forward.
• Community spirit. This yoga studio has such a lovely vibe and community feel. At the moment I feel like the polite outsider wanting to be a part of it, but everyone seems to know each other, is there for good reasons and welcoming.

 

Yoga makes me a happier, less stressed, stronger person both physically and mentally. I am so glad I tried something new and even more glad that it is working out brilliantly 🙂

 

 

I attend classes at Illuminate Yoga. I encourage everyone to find a studio and give it a go, you have nothing to lose.