Discovering Yoga!

I’m quite glad a question of sacred places is being discussed this week because it was just a few days ago my “sacred” yoga place changed drastically. I generally like to practice in my room, alone, with headphones in, so I am listening to the yogi’s voice only. This week was different. This week instead of lighting my incense and turning on my salt lamp, I decided to take a different approach. I woke up at 6am that morning,  grabbed my mat, put on a sweatshirt and sweatpants and headed down to the beach. It was a cold morning and frankly I really did want to sleep in. Nevertheless, I continued until my feet were in the sand. I went to my favorite spot just off the point in Ocean City and sat for a moment watching the waves. They were rough compared to how the rest of the summer waves had been. Then, when I was ready, I opened up my yoga app and picked a class titled “Balance for the Day.”  The class was slow moving and focused on breathing techniques to feel centered. I felt complet

I’ll be honest, going into this semester I did not have many expectations for yoga. All things considered I now completely take it back. My first attempt at yoga was...embarrassing, however, it was eye-opening for myself. I have never been one to be able to completely, wholly relax. No matter what, it always seems as though my mind's going a million miles a minute with a checklist of items needed to be completed, a new thought about life, or an idea from a movie I saw… my mind is always going. I have attempted meditation in the past, but it seemed absolutely impossible to completely shut off the brain… I mean… what else are you supposed to do when you're sitting still with your eyes closed other than sleep or think? It wasn't until I completed my first yoga class that the lightbulb above my head went off.  My first class, titled “Lower Back Yin for Beginners,” consisted of a series of slow stretches meant to focus on the back specifically. As a surfer, snowboarder, hiker,