How Did YOU Get Started?

Hi there, friend!

How long have you been practicing yoga? How did you get started? We pondered this exact question with our teachers, and here's what they shared. Enjoy!

Zelinda: 

"I walked into a dimly lit studio that was located at the end of a row of warehouses; most of them were occupied by car mechanics. The class was full of Olympians from the Stanford swimming team. I was absolutely intimidated."

Cynthia: 

"It was so long ago I don't remember, ha! I do remember doing Lilias, Yoga and You on PBS (who remembers that?) with my mom in our living room, she also had a book. My mom was sort of out there for a farm wife in the 60s. I took formal classes years later when I was in my late 20s, I don't recall if it was a Beginner Series or public classes, but that was the real start for me."

Amal:

"I was introduced to Yoga when I first join 24 Hour Fitness. I started Yoga and Pilates at the same time, each 3 times a week. After few months I noticed how I felt after my yoga class, there was always a special feeling! I started to read more about Yoga, then I heard that Corepower Yoga studio down in Portland is offering teacher training, and that was that!"

Aurora: 

"My VERY first class was at the health center at my university. When I finished, my wrists and my back hurt so much I vowed never to go back. (I was a percussionist and needed my wrists!) Luckily, a few years later my friend encouraged me to attend a class with him at the YMCA. It was a very different experience, and I liked it so much I started attending a few times a week."

Angela: 

"My first experience with yoga was through a book checked out from the library when I was in college. I had no idea if I was doing it right, but it definitely sparked my interest. 1985-ish."

Lk:

"When I was into running, my best friend and I ventured into a little studio off Far West Blvd. and the teacher was Charles MacInerney. He was amazing and is still teaching 25 years later."

Manju: 

"I was at the Hindu temple for a chanting session and realized they also offered weekly yoga classes at their amenities center. I was comfortably dressed, so ended up practicing my first class. November, 2003. Charlotte, NC."

April: 

"In 2004 my boss encouraged me to try yoga to help me with depression and anxiety I was experiencing from my recent divorce. I took a beginners series Ashtanga yoga class at Yoga Yoga Westgate with Rachel Hector and Kewal (who was still going by Chuck). I felt so immediately better after the first class I may have cried driving home."

Adria:

"I started yoga with a book! My dad had a book of yoga asana, so I started practicing poses in my childhood bedroom. (I remember plow pose was a particular favorite - a pose I skip altogether these days!) With no local yoga classes offered, I eventually took my first official yoga class as a college Phys Ed course! I was hooked."

As you can see, there's many ways to be introduced to the practice of yoga. Regardless of how you get started, your first experience with yoga can be so important to whether you continue the practice. First impressions matter, right? That's why we offer Yoga Beginners Series. During our six-week long online series, students build a strong foundation of knowledge in our unique, accessible style.

If you know someone who is ready to get started with yoga, whether they are local or anywhere in the country or even the world, please share our upcoming Beginners Series with them!

Our wonderful teacher, Asha, will be leading a virtual Beginners Series this January. From January 9th through February 13th, you'll meet once a week on Saturdays from 10:30 - 11:30am Central time via the online platform Zoom. You can attend live with your computer, tablet, or smartphone. In case you're not able to attend at the scheduled time, we'll also send you the recordings of the sessions, which will be available to you indefinitely.

Click here for a sharable Beginners Series video. Ready to sign up? You'll find the registration link here.

Thanks in advance for your help in sharing The Yoga Room's offerings far and wide! We hope to see you soon!

Be well,

Does Yoga Makes You Feel Guilty and Naughty?

I had a private lesson yesterday with two lovely women, friends who have had the good fortune of being workout buddies for a long time. They have a fun sense of humor and they’re used to working out hard with their trainer, which of course is awesome and so great for their health. They came to us for a private lesson with a couple of goals in mind: 1. To find out if they like yoga, and 2. To learn enough that they could transition into regular yoga classes.

These two ladies breezed through the first 45 minutes of the practice. We worked on chest openers, hip openers, strengthening, and balance. The physical part of the practice was a piece of cake for them, since they are so adept at using their bodies.

But when we transitioned to the relaxation part of the practice, something changed. Relaxation is something these two great ladies don’t typically practice, and it took a conscious shift in their mindsets to help them get comfortable with the idea of doing nothing.

One woman joked that she felt “guilty and naughty, like [she] should be doing chores at home.” And they laughed about not telling their trainer about this relaxation experience, because she might make them work harder in their next workout. It was all in fun, of course, but it spoke to a deeper truth in our society: Learning to relax is hard work.

This theme has come up consistently with the students in my lessons and classes lately. As a society, we are skilled at working hard, but we’ve never learned to relax. We perceive value in hard work and we equate relaxation with laziness. But the fact of the matter is that we need balance. Just like how in our asana practice we strive to balance effort and ease, so must we do in our lives.

If we spend our lives in a cycle of hard work and stress, we run the risk of poor health, a short life, or sadly, both.

But the good news is that relaxation practices can help undo some of the harmful effects of stress. Some of our regular, long-term students have managed their stress and improved their health so much that their doctors have reduced or even eliminated their blood pressure or diabetes medication. There are real benefits to learning how to relax.

And please know that knowing how to relax is not inherent to us as humans. It needs to be practiced and learned. I teach yoga for a living, and even I struggle with relaxation sometimes.

Just this morning, I had a very stressful time getting out the door with my kids. I dropped them off at their summer camp and as I was driving back home I was thinking about the long list of things I need to do today. It was a real challenge for me decide to pull into the studio so I could have a few minutes to move, breathe, relax, and reset, before beginning my work today.

But here’s the thing. We must take care of ourselves first, or we eventually wear ourselves out and can’t do a great job at anything.

For example, when I’m too tired and stressed, I’m a distracted and short tempered mom, a less present and less beneficial Yoga teacher, and an unfocused and inefficient business person.

From a productivity perspective, it’s so worthwhile to consistently practice relaxation and create an element of ease in your life, especially for busy people. Because when your mind is at ease you are more focused, more creative, and your mind is sharp. You can get more done. And ultimately, who doesn’t want that?

So even if it seems next to impossible, please try to build some relaxation into your life. Make time for a hot bath in the tub (Epsom salt rocks!), or go to bed early, or wake up early so you have a few minutes to practice breathing before you start your day.

Or come in and see us. We have all sorts of ways to teach relaxation. You can choose from private lessons or yoga classes, or we have a meditation workshop coming up on Saturday, or if you’re brand new you might want to try a Beginners Series.

Browse around our website to find something that feels like the right fit for you right now. And if you’re not sure where to start, or if the idea of relaxing sounds intimidating, just send me a note. I’ll be honored to help.

XO, Zelinda