Yoga is not as easy as it looks.....

The majority of the books I read and enjoy for pleasure, are typically stories about women breaking from the norm and going out into the world to find themselves. My favorite book of all time is She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb, which in my spare time I've been reading again. 

Last summer, I read Eat, Pray, Love, which featured three sections about three countries the writer visited to find herself. One of the main themes, was yoga, and the art of calming your mind. Now, for people who know me, they know that I can't stay quiet, and I can't calm myself, which may be a burden in my own life story. 

So, I dug up my old yoga book and DVD (which I had purchased back in 2008 when I went through a "I want to be a hippie" stage) and started a hopefully daily routine. I chose a wake-up routine, which wasn't as bad as expected. I did, however, learn that I am not only out of shape, but my flexibility is close to nothing. I can't even touch my elbows to the ground while sitting. Pathetic. So, goal number one for my new-found hobby: Become more flexible.

Because the first exercise was not very long in comparison to other workouts, I selected a short breathing exercise to work on. This was one of the hardest things I've had to do. It was not that the exercises were challenging, or that I didn't understand the purpose of what I was doing, but instead it took every bit of my energy to keep my mind from wandering. As I was being told to listen and concentrate on the rise and fall of my chest as I breathed, I was thinking about what jobs I should be applying for. What part of the country would I want to live in, or maybe I should blog about my routines daily, keep a record. I was also thinking about other lifestyle changes, getting out of my house in general, my upcoming events, whatever. To be short, I thought about everything EXCEPT my breathing. So goal number two: Learn to calm my mind and clear my head.

Following these exercises, my legs felt like jello. Clearly I still have a lot of work to do. But, one of the benefits is after spending your morning following this practice, you suddenly want to change other parts of your lifestyle. So instead of skipping breakfast, I ate a peach, and switched from coffee to tea. Hopefully the combination of the three will keep me more awake and alert throughout my day, and give me the energy I need.

My book says yoga is journey. It is not meant to be something you can master in a day, and every person has a different experience. So, naturally, I feel my journey is going to be hilarious. 

Peace.

Gaga