I’m not going to lie and tell you that I can touch my toes now yet already I am seeing progress after my first couple of yoga classes. Last I wrote, I had just begun my yoga adventure, agreeing to take a few classes, strike a few poses, hope for the best and then write about it.
So I made it through my first Hatha Yoga class with Kim Barkley, owner of the Kanata Yoga Centre and was looking forward to trying another one, this time Gentle Yoga with Fulvia Bublies. The word gentle made my confidence soar and worries about my body’s flexibility issues began to fade away. And even though I am still not totally comfy with the sometimes-weird noises, cracks, creaks and tummy rumblings that expose themselves
during class, I am ready to forge ahead. The teachers assure me that everyone makes some sort of noise from time to time and that no one really hears anyone else and eventually I will be so focused that I won’t hear my own noises.
And speaking of noises, I am told that yoga is best practiced on an empty stomach. You can eat something light awhile before class but no ‘all you can eat buffet’ on your way to class. This is where my latest dilemma comes in. I don’t want to disturb class with grumbling tummy noises but at the same time, I don’t want to minimize the benefits of today’s class by eating a big breakfast and so I compromise and do the next best thing. I eat a rice krispy square and down a quick shot of o.j. before class (please don’t tell my teacher).
I’m off to class two on a Friday morning and my worries that I would still be a bit stiff from last Sunday’s class were all for not. Kim told me that I should ’feel it’ by Tuesday but I ended up feeling a bit stiff a day earlier. This means that I may have pushed too far during my first class and I am reminded to listen to my body and its limits. By Wednesday my stiffness was gone and I was ready for my next class.
Fulvia and Kim both emphasized that the great thing about yoga is that you set your own limits. You and your body decide or your body tells you, when you have reached your maximum for that day or for a particular pose during class. And so as I head into the studio I cannot help but think that no matter how little I am able to perform or successfully complete a pose, that I am still benefiting in some way both physically, mentally and perhaps, spiritually.
I am excited as class starts, maybe because I know a little more about what to expect which makes me feel a bit more comfortable. I know that there will still be some shakes when holding certain poses (this is where the breathing really helps) but I also know that with practice they will get easier and I will be able to focus more on the spiritual side of yoga: the breathing, meditating and relaxing. Either way, I am hoping to gain something valuable from this class and to maybe take something home with me. Something like a calmer spirit or disposition, however fleeting it may initially be, knowing that I can build upon it is encouraging.
My teacher Fulvia talks about this after class saying that it is nice to enjoy class, to relax and to remove negative energies from our bodies and our minds and to leave class holding on to this feeling for as long as we can. And it’s true, you do leave class calmer and feeling more open, that you can conquer or deal with more of what life may happen to throw at you. This is how I felt, even after my first class and I wondered if this was just something that I thought and felt and so I asked my teachers and fellow students and they all described similar feelings. I’m already beginning to understand what keeps people coming back to class, sometimes several times a week.
An early birthday present has solidified my commitment to several more yoga classes. A brand new official yoga top is staring up at me from a colourful box. Maybe it is only fitting that this exciting yoga opportunity has come my way right around the time that I am about to turn a year older. I take stock every birthday, reflecting on what I have done regarding my personal well-being resolutions and I am often disappointed that I have not followed through on ideas or made the effort to do more for me. Well, that’s not going to happen this year. I have a new shirt now and there’s no turning back!
The Kanata Yoga Centre is located on the second floor of the Beaverbrook Community Centre behind the Calian Mall. The phone number there is 858-1114 and the website is http://www.kanatayoga.com
Stay tuned to see where this yoga journey continues to take Laurel.
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