My First Attempt at Yoga

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, and all-around active person, my back tends to bother me as if I am an 85-year-old woman with arthritis. This seemed like the most logical decision as my first yoga session. My teacher was a male with a calming monotone voice. The stretches were slow and composed of all the right movements to feel each individual muscle stretch as I moved. Though we were stretching in specific poses, my goal was to focus on my wandering mind. My first thought to get my mind off of my “to- do” list was to focus on something else, a distraction more or less. I decided that would be my breathing. With every inhale and exhale it seemed as though that was all I could focus on by the end. My Yogi’s voice, my own breathing, and the way my body moved… nothing more. I was shocked 38 minutes had gone by in no time. My environment was calm, but most of all I felt calm. 

Given the circumstances, I am sad to not be able to immerse myself in a genuine yoga environment. I am intrigued to learn more about the study of yoga because I have seen what it can do to a person in only one session. My hope for meditation was lost, however, I have now found a new way to focus on calming habits rather than thinking of responsibilities, not to mention I now feel as limber as a Laffy Taffy. My first attempt at yoga was nothing shy of a transformation and a newfound love.