Well, I did it. I said at the beginning of this journey that I was going to start Yoga. And, I can now say ‘I did it!’

And I love it!

Ha! Don’t worry, I’m not about to launch into a rant about organic eating and peace within because I’m not about stigma and judgment remember! But, I used to think of Yoga as something that wasn’t going to be that beneficial to me. I like to exercise. I have been doing more physical activity in the last year that I ever have in my life. I love it. I am a convert. I will maintain my enthusiasm for exercise because I’m hooked on the endorphins. But Yoga? To me it wasn’t going to give me the ‘endorphin buzz’ that I was longing for.

Until now.

Introducing Iyenga Yoga and the Yoga master that is Tim!

It all started by putting Archer into daycare for an extra day, a day that I didn’t work. A day for ME! Yikes! What on earth was I going to do with all this ME time! How absurd! Time whole heartedly devoted to just one person, just me! I could have easily just slept in till lunchtime, had a revolving coffee and snack diet, snuggled on the couch and buried myself in day time tv (sounds a lot like my uni days!) But, instead, I wanted to stay true to words I’d written in this very blog, and I wanted to start Yoga.

My boxing trainer, Jase, has done wonders for me through boxing. I was never able to do a sit up let alone a push up or anything in between. And now, from his encouragement, humor and cracking boxing classes I can do all of those combined with a mean right hook! Jase said the benefits of Yoga would compliment the energetic boxing that I love. So, off I toddled!

I walked into the room, nervous as hell, but the good kind of nervous, the non-threatening nervous. I’d spoken with Tim (the yoga master) before coming along and felt relatively at ease with what I was about to embark on. 6 months ago I would never have done this. Never have left Archer for this, never have gone to something alone, never walked down the main street of Geelong in leggings!! Ah, the new me is truly a sight for sore eyes!

But the minute this class started, I just knew I’d done the right thing. And all the images of ‘Yoga’ guru’s had washed away and I was hooked. We were using chairs, ropes, blocks, cushions, straps and blankets. The things I was getting my body to do were amazing. For someone who has had no connection with her own body, and never had any awareness of my own body, Yoga awoke me to muscles I knew were there, but had never felt before. The alarm clock was ringing loud and clear and all sort of muscles were waking up around me – and boy it felt good!

I can’t lie here, the part that I loved the most during my first lesson, was the ‘restoration’ pose at the end. 10 minutes, wrapped in a blanket, legs up on the wall, lying on my back, eyes closed, body completely and utterly relaxed. This was brilliant. But the true effects of this class, were not until I left the serene environment, and the calming voice of Tim, but it was the feeling of turning on each and every muscle in my body and actually stopping to listen to them.

We are so bloody busy in our lives that we never take the time to do this. I spent 10 minutes listening to my feet to work out where I put more weight. I realized that my entire body is so out of whack from one side to the other. Clearly, this is years of child carrying, handbag carrying and general ignorance to my own body. But really, could my body be this screwed!! Yes indeed it is. State of mind. State of body – they truly are totally connected. And by investing in one, we can only be investing in the other, and this is truly a gift!

So, I’m a convert. Yoga is officially part of my life. High fives to those of you who have already switched this light on, and I hand a pack of batteries to those of you who are yet to find the switch. Get onto it. Find a place that suits you. I’m not one for the classes of the masses, in sterile gyms with instructors shouting through a microphone. I’m more for the serene calmness of other centers, but hey – whatever floats your boat right!

I’m so glad I’ve taken the time to engage in my own body – its’ only taken me the last 15 years to get here. But now I am there’s no turning back. I’ll be doing this to the ripe age of all the other beauties in my course. Bless their cotton socks, they are just the most adorable bunch of humans I’ve met in a while.

Oh, and my crazy boxing trainer decided to join me in my pursuit of inner peace, I’m pretty sure he loved it and I’m pretty sure he was snoring at the end in our restoration pose. Which tells me, no matter how fit and strong you are, you can always take time to stop, restore within, stand tall, breathe deep and take this life on, being the best version of yourself.

Namaste!

These Days are My Days and I’m in Downward Dog for all the right reasons! Ha!

Lindsay x

PS – My next challenge is to get my adoring husband into Yoga… I can’t wait for that blog entry!