A New Yoga Class

If you have given yoga a shot and think that it is not for you, bear in mind that a different instructor may take an approach more suited to you, or you could even try out the different types of yoga. As far as I'm aware, the classes I have been to are Hatha yoga classes. But take one look at Groupon, and you will see advertisements for "Hot Yoga"- where the room you are in is very hot - which honestly sounds really uncomfortable to me, but could be your cup of tea.

So far on my Gaisce challenge, I have had 5 different yoga teachers, and for being the same physical activity, it is amazing how significant the differences between the approaches can be. Some yoga classes have left me exhausted, others have just left me feeling nicely stretched, but most recently, I leave yoga feeling calm.

While I have finished the 52 weeks for the "skill" (Ballroom Dancing), I had to put the two other challenge areas on hold, because training to become a teacher does not result in buckets of free time... Now that it is summer, and that the dance classes are finished, I can turn my focus back to both yoga and working in a charity shop.

In the mean-time, I also moved away from Dublin, meaning that I needed to find a new yoga class to join. The great thing about yoga is that no matter where you are in Ireland, you will probably be able to find a class nearby. In UCD they even have Ióga through Irish!

The new classes are a mix of yoga and meditation, and this time my mother has joined me at the classes, which make them a bit more fun. I still have 24 weeks of yoga to go, but I think these classes will be a great stress reliever once term starts back in September.

Yoga

 I have now done 4 weeks of yoga classes and I am really enjoying it. What I love about yoga is that the instructor frequently reminds us that it's not about the poses other people in the class are doing; it's not about all being at the same level, but rather about doing what feels comfortable for you. The instructor will adapt different positions depending on what different levels people are at. It can be hard not to push yourself to a higher level, but when the instructor starts doing crazy poses where all the weight rests on her hands only, I know I am not ready for that (yet!) but I look forward to being able to do it.


Aside from the physical aspect, the instructor focuses on the "meditation through movement" aspect of yoga, telling us to focus on positive thoughts, to let go of negative feeling, and to try and carry that attitude out with us afterwards. On the morning of Trump's election, it was lovely to go to yoga to forget about it all!

I'm surprised how different yoga is from week to week. It's hard to remember the names of all the poses too, but as you can see I have a few pictures here of some of the poses we do. I had to miss yoga one week because I was ill, and my body really knew it- my joints kept cracking throughout the following week's class. I am definitely going to invest in my own yoga mat soon so that I can practise at home.I can tell I am making progress with my ability/inability to touch my toes, so I am delighted with that.