Soaking It In

After I spent the week in Colorado running, walking, hiking, and biking, I felt like my calf muscles were so tight they were going to snap at any moment like a rubber band, and all the rest of my body was sore and stiff. When we arrived at our resort at the beginning of the week, I had noticed that there was a Yoga studio right across the street, so after we turned our bikes back in to the rental place, I went over to check out their schedule. Later that evening, I took a great beginner’s class, and I can’t believe I haven’t done that more often.

Up to this point, most my experience with yoga has been second-hand—my friend Red practices at home and has read up on the principles of yoga (not surprising, since she always seems to know a lot about most of the things I become interested in—she’s smart and savvy and loves learning). I had taken a class at the Liberty Community Center, but it was more focused on yoga as exercise, rather than as a practice and an all-around learning experience.

So last night, I decided I would try it out in Kansas City. The Knitters and I tried yoga at the Liberty Memorial for the summer solstice, but it was hard for me as a beginner to keep up with the group of experienced practitioners. After I did some research about yoga studios in Kansas City, however, I ended up with my best option as Kansas Siddhi Yoga, the same group that hosted the summer solstice event. Last night I attended a class at their KSY West studio at 1717 Wyandotte.

I was intimidated at first. Not having participated in very many “true” yoga classes, I was worried I wouldn’t know the poses, and, though it is irrational, I felt like everyone would be watching me and see how awkward I was. I unfurled my mat and grabbed all the appropriate equipment from the back of the room (after slyly watching someone before me collect her things and copying her actions), and then sat down to wait for the start of class.

I tend to fidget a lot, whether it is in a class or at my desk at work or in a meeting or watching t.v. I have a very hard time sitting still—I always want to adjust my shirt or crack my knuckles or twirl my hair. At the class I took in Colorado, the teacher kept reminding us NOT to fidget, and as I tried to sit quietly and prepare myself to be open to this new class, I noticed how still everyone else was sitting, and tried to follow suit.

The teacher, Gina (who is also the owner of the studio) opened the class with 10 minutes or so of speaking. She talked about how part of the practice of yoga, outside being a form of exercise, is to apply your yoga practice to your daily life. It is important to take things in stages, and fully experience each stage—whether that is in learning a new pose or in going about your daily life. She said the following (and I paraphrase), and I have been repeating it in my head ever since:

"Be here, in this moment. There does not exist yet, or does not exist anymore. If here is all there is, if this moment is all that exists, then you can only be able to be here, in this moment."

I spent most of the class trying to shut out the day and focus on each moment of the class, to fully experience each pose and what my body was doing as I moved. It’s not very easy to do, and I probably spent more time pulling my mind back to the class than I did actually being there in the moment, but it was my first day, so I am taking it in stages. I think this class will help me practice “soaking it in,” per my happiness commandments. If you want to come with me to a class, let me know—it was very enjoyable. I’ll be going back on a regular basis.