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Community Corner

Adventures in Yoga

I've been wanting to slow down and be more present in my busy life and several people have suggested that yoga will do the trick.

I started a yoga class this week. It's something new for me. I’ve always been more of a high intensity aerobic, kick boxing, boot camp kind of exerciser.

I thought exercise had to be super intense and exhaust me for there to be benefits. But yoga is a less intense style of exercise said to relieve stress, sculpt muscles, prevent depression, and make you overall healthier so I decided to give it a try.

My sister and I signed up for a five class deal. It’s always nice to have a buddy when you do something new. Of course, I was kind of in a rush getting there, I wanted to be early, and was feeling a little stressed. I was also a little nervous because I wasn’t sure what to expect.

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As soon as we entered, my stress started to melt away and I felt calm. The studio reminded me of being at a spa. Everyone was quiet. Soft music played and the scent of lavender or some other soothing smells wafted through the air.

The instructor began by saying “Namaste,” the official greeting of yoga, which means I bow to you or the spirit in me bows to the spirit in you. She told us why she loves yoga. She explained that yoga heals the body, spirit and mind. She said she feels differently about things after she practices. She said that we would notice our thoughts, ideas and attitudes change during the class or afterwards. Worries and anxieties may lessen or even go away. It all sounded great to me.

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She walked us through the sun salutations—the tree pose, downward dog and warrior pose and a few others I don’t remember. It was difficult and contrary to what I thought, it hurt like all other exercise. I'm still a little sore.

I have to admit, when it was over, I did feel calm and peaceful, a far cry from the woman zipping into the parking lot worrying she was late. My outlook for the day was bright. I actually finished several tasks I had been putting off. Coincidence? I don't think so. Maybe yoga will make a difference in my life and give me a better perspective on things. I know I'm looking forward to the next class.

Namaste!

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