I was afraid my body was not ready for this class. In fact, after taking the beginner yoga class, I waited weeks before coming back in to give it another go. You see, the ego whispers to me “That was too hard, you must give up now.” It is coming from a place of pain. Pain I have lived with for the last 5 years since developing the symptoms and ultimately the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. But last night on my mat, as I held the pose for a little bit longer, my mind tried to scream at me again to register and focus on my pain. I then shushed it, and focused on my breathing instead. And guess what happened? It worked.
Three weeks ago as I was getting ready to take the first class, an acquaintance called me, but I said I had to go get ready for yoga. She asked if she could go; however, she is not known for her patience, so I explained this was not like traditional yoga. She said she was fine with it…haha. We arrived and were told to get bolsters, a blanket, a block and a belt. She kept asking me questions about what we were going to do. I did mention I had not taken this class before. Throughout class, she fidgeted. She whispered. She twitched. She complained under her breath. I was NOT happy. Yoga is MY place for peace. If you invite yourself to come with me, you need to respect that this is already hard for me, and I like to relax.
At the end, oh the end, I was mortified. Tea was served, and I dearly love hot tea. As it was being passed out, fidgety gal loudly says WHAT IS IT? I stared at her. It’s tea. Well, what kind?? I need to know. No you don’t. Be quiet and drink the tea before I lose my calm on you and go off all Scorpio style in this nice place. She then got out her PHONE. Yes, her phone, and proceeds to play on it. NUMBER one rule of yoga is there are NO cell phones in yoga. Everyone knows this. Everyone. Except her.
Unfortunately, I left this class more tense than I should have. I allowed another person’s behavior and energy to seep into my space. I don’t have time for that in my life. I just don’t. So I went blessedly alone the next week. And again last night. What I learned was that each week, Lauren works on a different part of the body in the poses. If I had given up because of my mind, body, or embarrassment of the above, I would not have known that. I am working hard on shifting my focus. There are things we can’t control, but when you get to your mat, control what you can. Slow down you mind, focus on the breath, drop the chatter in your head, and let the others melt away. It is your journey and yours alone. No one can do this for you.
I truly appreciate this class as it feels like it goes at your own pace. Some of us use more bolsters, blankets, or props to get in the pose and get the best benefits. It does not matter. This is truly a class to teach you to slow down. Namaste.
