Every time I tried to meditate or do yoga before, I got extremely frustrated because I would spend the whole time thinking about what I wanted later and going through my grocery list in my mind.
There’s a reason they call yoga “observe”. It can take some time to adjust. Yoga isn’t just about building physical health; it also involves your mental power. The poses are only one of the eight pillars that make up yoga. Bria Lee is a CorePower Yoga studio coordinator and instructor. She says that yoga begins with the body as an exercise. After I saw the difference in my body, it was then that my mind changed.
After realizing that I have a hard time slowing myself down, I decided to embark on a yoga journey for a whole month to see if it would help me to change my pace. The rule was to complete 4 or 5 classes per week over a period of one month. I don’t recommend doing anything at all seven days a week.
CorePower Yoga in my hometown offers athletically-based classes, usually in heated studios. Did I mention that I also hate being hot? Since I am a Colorado woman and don’t like heat, it shouldn’t be part of my DNA.
Yoga Sculpt was the first class I took. This class combines yoga, cardio and strength moves that help increase your metabolism and build muscle. This seemed to be the closest thing I could get to a HIIT workout while doing yoga. I thought I’d really enjoy it. Spoiler alert! I didn’t. I spent the majority of class cursing under my breath and the remainder laying in my own pool of sweat (or tears?) I took deep breaths until I could return to action.
I decided that Sculpt probably wouldn’t be my favorite. The trainer was very impressive, not only because he taught but also did most of the exercises with us. I think yoga instructors are some of the strongest people on the planet.
The next class I attended was C2. CorePower describes C2 on their website as “a difficult vinyasa flow” with harder postures. It was surprising that this became my favorite kind of complexity, even though it is slow and deliberate. The postures where we balance on one leg are what I found most enjoyable. Even though I was the first-place all-around gymnast at state in seventh grade, this part of me has long since disappeared. I was curious to see if I could still balance on one leg or if there was any flexibility left. (Clearly, i’m aggressive towards myself–I am an enneagram 3, the achiever. If you are unsure, then ask yourself:
On day four, I’m not sure what happened, but I felt myself. I was walking past a mirror when I noticed that you looked hot. Was there any physical change at this stage? No. The reflection that I saw in the mirror when it was trying to reflect me again was of a very high quality.
By the end of the program, I was definitely seeing results. I saw a noticeable difference in my triceps and loved it. My upper body is quite muscular, but I have always struggled to achieve defined triceps. No more! It’s a shame it’s too cold to wear sleeveless tops, because I can show them off. I also noticed superior core strength. Although I don’t know if I saw them, I can definitely feel them. It was cool to see that certain stomach exercises that were difficult for me before, I could now do easily.
The heat in the studio could be unbearable at times. I always kept an eye on the temperature. My courses ranged in difficulty from 95 to 108, so I realized I would be more comfortable doing yoga in temperatures that I would need to be outside in. There are people who love scorching hot yoga and there are others like me.
I watched a few of CorePower’s internet videos because I was curious to see how motivated I would be to practice yoga at home. The answer is not very. The courses were good, but I need to be part of a group in order to stay motivated.
When I decided to tackle this problem for the first time, I asked myself “Why? “Why? It was like adding another thing to my list of things to do.
By the time I was accomplished, I found myself missing yoga a little. I never thought I would say that. The most I miss is the hour that I used to take out of my busy day to tune in with my mind and body. The most important thing I saw was that I loved myself. I gained a great deal of core strength, but I also noticed visible results. Yoga forced me to spend more time with myself and I realized that I am pretty darn good, if I may say so.
Yoga forced me to be with myself and I discovered I am pretty darn good.
Every time I left the class, I felt a sense of peace I never get after a HIIT course. After HIIT I feel energized, but not peaceful. Both types of exercise make me feel like I can take on the world in different ways. I can now appreciate the benefits of different types of training. Lee says, “For someone with athletic ideas, you can do something else in addition to what you do.”
Yoga is my counterpart activity. Since the end of my month-long yoga program, I have been more intentional in taking time for myself. However, it’s not quite as good as actually working on yoga. It’s mostly me lying still on my couch for 10 minutes every day. It is not savasana but it is not or savasana.
I will say in the report that I am not a yoga critic. I am now a yoga enthusiast! While I can’t imagine myself doing yoga four to five times a week, I will add yoga at least once a week into my fitness program. After each class, I feel a sense of peace and my body can benefit from the stretching.
Lee’s advice when considering whether to include yoga in your fitness routine is this: “The body altering is the last thing that you should be concerned about. It doesn’t really matter what you do, your body will change. You must be willing to share your ideas. Never say anything for more than a moment. “Actually, simply look inwards.”
