I am very lucky to work at a place that offers many different varieties of workout classes. Spinning, boot camp, zumba…. and yoga to name a few.
I used to use the “not being able to afford a yoga studio” as my excuse for not addressing this fear, but I knew once I started my new job that wouldn’t be valid anymore.
A couple weeks ago, I posted the fears I wanted to conquer to help make myself accountable to these new things I wanted to do and yoga was one of them. A couple days later it showed up in my email inbox.
A yoga 101 class.
It was a sign. The most very basic yoga I could go to for my first time and with other beginners. How could I pass it up? Simple answer: I couldn’t.
To give a little background on this fear, for some reason I have been very scared to go to yoga. I am extremely inflexible, I can’t touch my toes, and stretching and being still have never been my strong points.
So last Thursday I went. I attended my first yoga class.
We did poses, we breathed, my legs shook and I was challenged.
And you know what?
I really liked it.
I liked the challenge of balancing and holding poses. I liked being still. I liked focusing on my breathing and doing something completely different from what I usually do. I loved the instructor and I loved her take and perspective on yoga. It was all very refreshing and I walked out of there with a new outlook and a new excitement about yoga.
I am going again this week and then I plan to work it into my routine where I can. I think not only the balance, the breathing, and the core work are beneficial to me, but most of all just letting myself be still, be quiet and have my brain not going a million miles a minute will be one of the best parts.
So another fear has been conquered. The last one is the big one that will be the most challenging for me, but at least I am already 2 out of 3!
Do you do yoga?
So you know I recently jumped on the yoga train. I love it for all the reasons you listed. I find the balancing challenging and I even enjoy just tapping into my breathing and being still. It has also 100% cured my gimpy hip and it keeps my legs feeling loose and fresh. I was super scared to go, too. I always thought it was ridiculous to pay to exercise (nevermind the $$ I spend on races) but I am plunking down $ to join a yoga studio. Maybe one day you’ll do Bikram yoga with me
So excited that you liked the yoga!! I ALWYAS use the excuse of how much it costs, and then I stumbled upon a “donation” yoga studio – you gave as much as you could afford per class. I definitely think adding it to my training would improve my overall running ability. Great job on working through your list of fears!
Oh I didn’t realize you were new to Yoga too! Not that I’m a pro or anything but there was a pseudo yoga class I used to take on Mondays after my long runs when I belonged to a gym. I’m definitely still clueless but I did like the extra stretching… but I did kinda get bored tho.
But I LOVED child’s pose, hahaha.
Yay! I loved reading about your success..yoga is not only amazing for your mind but it has improved my running. I have a feeling you’re going to get addicted to it…I know I have. I think those lulu bags know what they are talking about
So glad you’ve given yoga a try and liked it! I’ve tried several different kinds over the years (hatha, iyengar, bikram) and it can be intimidating at first but always sooo worth it. Enjoy!
I’ve done yoga at the gym and I once tried Bikram Yoga – 105* heat + yoga was NOT for me, but the regular yoga with the relaxing music always makes me feel so good and rejuvenated after. And I am not flexible at all either so I know how you felt taking that first class and not knowing what to expect. The more you do the better you’ll get though!
Nice work, Aron! It’s not easy to face your fears. I started doing yoga back in high school so I feel pretty comfy with it now. I have yoga to thank for back probs I used to have. And now it’s a great way to force stretching into my running routine. The more you do it, the better you’ll feel each time and the confidence will come.
Good for you, facing your fears. Mt. Diablo isn’t as tough as you’d think. And as I remember, you were pretty darn good riding up hills – you kicked my butt up Calaveras.
I have hip issues and I’m far away from flexible. I go to a gentle yoga class which focuses on stretching and it really helps. Now I only have to make sure I go more regularly
Woohooo! Way to go Aron. You’re checking those fears off left right and centre.
I love yoga. I love the peace it brings me and I love the challenge as well. I also love that it helps me let go of everything, including expectations of what I should and shouldn’t be able to do.
yay! I’m so happy you had a good first yoga experience! I used to think just like you – that I didn’t like being still, etc. but almost 2 years ago now I tried it and I’ve been in love with it every since : )
I was so scared to go to yoga – and in fact I was late to my first class! But I love it and I can so tell it helps my legs and my flexibility!
Yoga is where it’s at girl. Welcome to the club!
I lurve me some yoga. It’s so peaceful and relaxing. Try hot yoga if you want to become afraid of something. that freaked me out pretty good.
Hot yoga… now THAT is scary :-/
I love yoga. It comes in and out of my life, but I can always go back to it.
Oh, I love Yoga, and now that I’ve started running, it’s become even more important and functional in my workout routine — I’ve lost quite a bit of my flexibility in my legs from running. I have been practicing on and off for the last 10 (!) years, and I have tried several different styles. I keep coming back to the simple, gentle Hatha format though. It’s the most familiar and soothing for me; however, I think it’s great to keep challenging yourself and trying new styles.
Stick with it! It will only help and support your running!
I love yoga…it is perfect after a tough workout too
Yay Aron! Yoga is awesome. I regularly do hot yoga and I LOVE IT. It is the closest thing I’ve ever found to the “runners high” and I know it’s really helped my running too. I’m a very injury-prone runner but since I’ve been doing yoga regularly I’ve had zero injuries in 2011!
That’s really cool you have so many workout options available to you at your new job, too!
YAY! so happy you liked yoga, it’s not for everyone that’s for sure, but i’m so glad you found things to love about it. and it’s not how flexible you are, it’s all about just being in the moment. sounds like that’s how you approached it. AWESOME! yoga is THE BEST
(not to mention all the cute lulu yoga clothes out there, i mean it’s hard not to want to yoga with cute clothes, right?;)
I’m so glad your first yoga experience went well! It took me a lot of classes and a willingness to try new places before I found a yoga practice that worked well for me. There are so many options too, that once you get used to the basic poses and sequencing and breathing, it’s easy to switch up the type of class you go to based on the workout you’re looking for. It also took me years to accept the “being still” part of yoga as a good thing! I always wanted to be sweating and just go, go, go. I’m impressed that you were all in right from the start
Good luck with facing your other fears!
I started yoga this summer and I love it.
I always sigh & think that I dread yoga. But whenever I go, there’s always a point somewhere in the middle of the class where I think “remember how much you love this.” I think the same thing after class, too. But the problem lies in making myself go…
Awesome that you did yoga! I’m surprised that you didn’t try it until now, I figured that you would like it. I did it through my company a couple years ago, and got back into doing it weekly over the summer when I was battling injury. And your 3rd fear (swimming) is another thing that I picked up while I was injured this summer.
I actually did yoga yesterday, it seemed to go really well, I’m getting more and more comfortable with the movements. Not sure if you can set a PR doing yoga, but I felt really good during the class yesterday, haha
I swear by yoga. I truly believe that it has kept me from needing back surgery. I even noticed a difference in my nasty dancer foot by “spreading my toes.” I feel amazing when I leave class, both physically and mentally. Someday I will be a certified yoga teacher.
I love yoga. Its so great plus the core and back strength i’ve gained from doing it are amazing.
that was pretty much how i felt when i started doing yoga–i also have the inflexibility issue and worried it would prevent me from doing actual yoga. but you can modify every pose and still get the same benefits. it’s a lot about strength, and that’s what i love about it. i’m so glad you enjoyed your experience – i think it helps to have an instructor you like.
I’ve done quite a bit of yoga over the years, though shamefully I have never made it a priority in the routine even though I do like it! Good for you giving it a try and yay for liking it!!
Glad to hear your yoga session went well! It can be a really nice way to balance out running.
That said, I haven’t done much yoga since I’ve gotten into half marathon training, mostly because I’ve read some warnings about pulling muscles (from Jeff Galloway, whom I really respect as a running coach). Has anyone else heard about this? I suppose I could go with a gentle class…
Glad you tried yoga out! Isn’t it fantastic?
i LOVE yoga! specifically hot, sweaty, bikram : ) i always hate how i don’t make time for it once i get into a training cycle though, even though i know how beneficial it can be! now that my fall marathon is behind me i’m looking forward to making it more of a routine, at least for a little while. good for you for facing your fears!
I have recently started to do Yoga regularly and just love it. The stillness and stress relief, not to mention how getting a good stretch the day after my long run can really speed up my recovery.
Yoga can be cost prohibitive but I found a community class that fits into my schedule for $5 a class which it isn’t too bad.
I have had a love/hate relationship with yoga for years. But I finally decided to go “all-out” and see how much it would help me with running. After a month of practicing more yoga than I ever have in my life, I found myself running pain-free for the first time in 2 years. I forgot what that felt like! It’s a challenge to fit in as many classes as I would like to, but I think the benefits are so good that I try to make it a priority. Right now I’m enjoying experimenting with different types of yoga.