First Foray

So I went to my first proper yoga class yesterday. I now know how to execute a downward-facing dog and during which was I giggling? No. Did I find out that yoga is tough but strangely calming? You bet.

I drove to the studios of Body Active at the always-busy Delima Square, full of intent and purpose, armed with a yoga mat. I did some lunges at home so I was feeling pretty limber. With a spring in my step from the ol' trusty Nikes, I entered Nora's yoga class for beginners. I don't know whether it was the afternoon sun peeking through the windows and bouncing off the wooden floors of the studio combined with ethereal yoga music, but it sure was surreal. It reminded me of the best corner in a library, and that is a compliment. My classmates came sorted with their yoga mats, yoga wear and a No-Shoes policy. The sneakers I had on suddenly felt constricted so I liberated my feet from wearing shoes the whole day and the journey to relaxation starts.

Teacher Nora taught us the very basics of yoga: like how to breathe properly during asanas (poses), how to sit in a lotus position and touch the tip of the thumb to the tip of the pointy finger (as if you are doing an OK sign) and place your hands face up on your knees, simple effective stretches, Amazon Warrior moves (I swear) and my favourite downward-facing dog, a few rolls and sun salutations. Another favourite of mine is the lying-still-on-your-back-hands-on-your-side-palms-up and & "let your eyeballs feel like they are dropping into the back of your head", excellently described by the teacher thus excellently executed by me. All throughout the class, Nora teaches in a gentle, unobtrusive way.

Bobby says that yoga is best experienced in private and I quite agree with that. In an ideal yoga world, I imagine doing a sun salutation butt-naked on top of a high cliff overlooking the ocean whilst watching the sunrise. But I don't live in an ideal world, yoga-related or otherwise. Therefore, having a teacher that gently and effectively imparts the wisdom of her teachings, in a surrounding that soothes, is good enough for me. I felt a sense of peace during yesterday's class, as opposed to say, if I were in a taebo or hi and low aerobics class, where the music remixes alone could make me swear off exercise. But that's just me. One of my aunties is an aerobics freak and has been doing it for years and years. She has close aerobic buddies; they even go on shopping trips together. Each to his/her own I guess.

Am I a yoga convert? The jury is still out on that one. The plan was to learn a few basics of yoga and then go on a holiday disguised as a yoga retreat, but I must say I enjoyed my first foray. I enjoyed it for the simplest reasons: like learning how to BREATHE properly, that the yoga studio had the peaceful ambience of a library, and that our yoga teacher is wholesome and not some emaciated person who looks as if he/she eat lentils all day. But the next beginners class is not until the 1st of November, and that means I may have to ask Bobby to teach me some yoga moves in between then. Now, this has its pros and cons of course:

Cons - The husband seeing me ungainly.
Pros - Me seeing the husband with very little clothes on.

Namaste. Eseh man.

Comments

[Danura]

im humbled. Thank you for the visits (and your kind reviews) both to danurasana and satya (studio). Do come back from your retreat with lots of pics and accounts of the yoga sessions!