Accidental Private Lesson

I went to yoga at Live With Spirit today (where I'll be taking the Yoga Teacher Training) for Sheree's Hatha Yoga class. A funny thing happened though... No one else showed up! It was so great to have the teacher all to myself. It was nice to have the personal attention to help correct my alignment. Also, half way through the class, she'd asked me if I had ever done a headstand before and my answer was no. I'd never been in a class where it was instructed. She asked if I was afraid and my answer was no. If I plan on being a teacher, I can't be afraid to try the poses! So, she proceeded to show me, and then spot me as I tried. My verdict - I am heavier than I thought! (haha) And I will need to practice it for a long time to come in order to really get it right. But it was so cool to get the one-on-one instruction needed for a potentially dangerous pose like headstand. I also got to thinking today about the misconceptions that some people have about yoga. It is a great physical exercise. All of the poses (when done with proper alignment) will tone one muscle group or another, or often a few at the same time. All the stretching and twisting also helps to create a leaner physique, by lengthening your muscles. The beauty of the practice however, is that it brings together your physical movements with your breath, helping to calm and quiet your mental muscles, which to me, is the best exercise of all. I wish that people placed as much importance on their mental health as they do on their physical health. I know one thing that scares people away from yoga in the first place, is the spiritual aspect, as many aren't comfortable with that. But you don't have to make it about a God or any specific spiritual being. I am still trying to work out the details of my own beliefs. What you can focus on, is quieting your mind and learning to bring the calmness and serenity of practice into your daily life. Learning to think before reacting, and finding the small things to be grateful for in the most mundane of days. The rest will follow.

Namaste, ERIN