A First Taste of Yoga
By Anonymous
A friend recently asked me and a few other friends if we would be her guinea pigs for her practice sessions for yoga! She is learning the whole practice of YOGA and knowing that she would be a skilled tutor and knowing also that this might be a gentle form of relaxing but healthy exercise for my ageing body; I was more than up for it.
On arrival, Annie our instructor was a little nervous about her first teaching session but there was no need, we all knew that she would be an excellent tutor. The room was nicely warmed, and there was a lovely smell of tea lights burning with what were undoubtedly relaxing scented oils.
The hall is used for other similar type practices such as Reiki, Calamities and other relaxing types of exercise. There were plenty of mats and cushions to make the whole experience even more comfortable. After selecting mats and taking off shoes and socks and sitting comfortably with crossed legs on the floor. Our taste of Yoga began.
Annie talked to us about the history of this form of exercise, where it came from, the many different types, the benefits etc. It's so complex, I had no idea. We started with gentle breathing, normally actually. It's really surprising how hard it is to breathe normally in a silent room and warming up for your exercise session.
The exercises were all very relaxed stretches with some technical names to them, but sometimes, although the movement was really relaxed, they were also very difficult. At times you could feel yourself doing the movement combined with the deep breathing (only in and out through the nose, not the mouth) and you could feel your back hamstrings and calves really stretching.
At other times you could feel your legs wobbling uncontrollably in a position that your body wouldn't have recognised as being a normal or even attempted for many, many years. At the same time, rather madly, it was still really relaxing and very enjoyable.
As the first practice session progressed, it was all very relaxed and exercises were carefully explained and very carefully monitored by the tutor, we worked through pretty much a large chunk of our bodies involving lots of stretching movements from legs, back, arms and the never ever worked tummy muscles.
The training session ended with lots more lying down and deep breathing with eyes closed and again this was incredibly relaxing (I think nearly all of us were so chilled that we could have quite easily nodded off). We could hardly believe that an hour had passed so quickly.
At the end of the session Annie our tutor, asked each of us how we felt, and asked for any constructive feed back and also whether we might return for another session. Through out the session we were constantly monitored and given very clear instructions to ensure that we didn't harm ourselves or get too carried away.
The only slight from this whole experience was that the hall happened to be located right next to a very nice pub. Well that couldn't be passed by really, could it? So we all popped in for a refreshing beer (oops, mineral water) and finished off a perfectly nice evening.
As far as Yoga is concerned I am definitely going back next week and I will be taking up Yoga as a gentle form of exercise very well suited to my gentle kind of age. All in all I found it the most relaxing way of keeping fit that I have ever experienced.
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