Just close your eyes. Relax in this position. You aren’t going to worry about anything for the next hour. Just focus on each breath entering and leaving your lungs. Just breathe.
If my blue eyes weren’t closed right now, I’d be rolling them. All I’m supposed to do is sit here? I can’t sit here without worrying or thinking about something.
I’m annoyed.
What if the entire class is like this? I’m pretty sure that my sports bra won’t be clad with sweat if all we’re doing is close to dozing off. I didn’t come here to sleep.
And why does it matter that I recognize that I’m breathing? We’re all freaking breathing, all the time. Why should this moment be any different? Especially when we’re just sitting here?
These were the initial thoughts that swam through my head when I attended my first yoga class. You could say I loathed it.
At the time, I was so tempted to ditch that squishy, blue mat below me and perform a workout that would actually have me sweating. I also didn’t understand the reason for tracking my breathing and I felt more inclined to fall asleep than actually meditate.
I was skeptical. What could yoga actually do for me? I have always been a restless person, and exercising was no exception. I have always thrived on being busy and being active, and the idea of a contrast with my lifestyle didn’t feel right.
Why would I sit around and breathe when I could actually exercise?
It is now a year later, and that ambivalence has evolved into an actual interest.
After attending a few hot yoga sessions and sweating my brains out, I realized that I wasn’t actually in the studio for a work out. I wanted something more.
I’m drawn to how yoga is a mind-body exercise. I like to think that it sits on the calmer, deeper side of the fitness spectrum that holds intensive cardio on its other end. Through the use of poses, relaxation, breathing techniques and meditation, anyone can achieve a boost in posture, balance, flexibility or mental stability by taking up yoga.
Yoga is different from the way I usually work out. While I find myself striving to get something out of doing intensive cardio, I do yoga because it encompasses no stress or expectations. There is no pressure or imminent goal I need to reach.
I like keeping up on my flexibility, improving my balance and stretching my joints and muscles after a tedious week of classes. But most of all, I crave that mind-body connection that practicing yoga offers.
In a world where we’re so focused on working hard and ceasing to mentally relax, I think that this connection is essential. I believe that strengthening the mind-body relationship can even be the key to your professional or personal success. Yoga can offer you this path.
Most of the time, I’d rather have my heart pumping and “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse blaring through my headphones as I finish off a sprint on the treadmill. But yoga is where I can separate myself from the rush of cardio. I can leave behind a hectic week for at least an hour, and just focus on my breath cycles and me.
Yoga has put my restless personality and me at peace. What can it do for you?
As the Buddhists say, “Namaste.”
Kaitlyn Richert is a sophomore studying journalism and information graphics and a columnist for The Post. Email her at kr257109@ohiou.edu.
