10 Years of Yoga…
I have just finished a Sweat class at Studio One Yoga and before leaving I chat to some classmates about weekend plans and the effort we had all just put into class. Some or my teammates (other teachers) and I discuss the forthcoming refurbishment the studio planned for the weekend. A fairly normal Wednesday evening.
I set off home and upon arrival I reflect on a long journey that has passed in a moment.
It was 6:05 on 21st of August 2014 and my first time in a yoga studio, also my first time in Standish. A 40-year-old runner, dressed for a run and not really knowing what to expect, but with aims to meet and goals to reach albeit not yoga ones at that point.
Looking back I decided to try yoga to help my running. Running had gone from something that helped me get/keep fit to an obsession; I wanted to lengthen my years of running as I was getting into some much longer distances and trickier terrain. I wanted to build strength and flexibility. I also had shoulder and back difficulties and if I’m honest probably a bit of a temper at times.
My memory of the date that I started is easy to work out because a week prior I was on holiday for a week with my extended family and this gave me time to search online for yoga classes local to home. I wanted something that started at 6 am and I instantly found one in Southport. When I looked for the address, it turned out it was in Southport in Australia.
Luckily I also found Studio One in Standish. Unfortunately, the class only started at 6:15 am but that would have to do. I sent an email to the studio asking questions about what to wear; would I be able to do a Flow class, and probably a load of other ridiculous questions, all of which someone called Michelle responded to, and that was it.
I can’t recall exactly how my first practice went. I probably thought I did really well! Now that I am a teacher I know almost instantly when I’ve got a new student who is a runner - you can just tell.
It wasn’t easy but the sensation of movement sandwiched between 2 short periods of stillness was amazing. I don’t often sit still so the contrast was fantastic. I distinctly remember leaving class and asking a fellow student, how long it would take for my heels to get to the mat in downward facing dog. I’m not sure as to the reply but I think it was wrong because I’m pretty sure that they didn’t say “in 10 years they might still not touch”.
I have certainly formed a habit over the 10 years. There have been times when I’ve been on holiday and maybe missed a weeks practice, and I had 4 weeks off when I had a hip operation back in 2019, apart from that though yoga has been a staple part of my week. Classes creeping from once to 3 times a week and sometimes my own practice at home.
How has my practice changed? Physically there are still poses that I cannot do due to the physical limitations of my body - splits, side lunge, gomukasana and grasshopper to name but a few. Then there are those where I am delighted at my balance, progression and tenacity to keep trying and improving. There are also poses that I can’t do because I have not advanced my practice that far but that one day I will be able to achieve.
Perhaps the biggest surprise to me was the change in my breathing – Wow. When I got it I could really tell. I can’t recall exactly when I understood it more but one day I observed that I used nose breathing nearly all the time. Day and all night. I don’t know when it started, but I remember noticing it. This tied in with my meditation practice (variable as it is) and a sense of well-being all over and throughout.
What I do know is that my practice has slowed down, my balance has massively improved and I’ve gained the ability to be slightly more measured with my state of mind. I am getting closer to my current yoga goals and I know what my next goals will be.
Yoga is a bit like Running. Running doesn’t get easier as you get fitter. It’s just that you go faster and seek new challenges. In yoga, you can settle in one place for a while or keep looking for progression. There is no end.
So did it help my Running? Maybe, but it certainly helped me improve my breathing, balance, strength and stability. It’s helped my feet and ankles. I also have the unexpected benefits of having made new friends and found myself a second job and part of a fantastic team with my role as a yoga teacher.
I know that this personal voyage has taken 10 years and of course looking back that seems like the blink of an eye but only over time can the results I have found be discovered and it is that I wanted to share.
David
