So I attended my first ever yoga class today.
Why?
Because this year I'm resolved to try new things, and to act at least once on as many of the far-out thoughts I have everyday as I can. That's besides all the wonderful benefits of yoga, which I'm sure you can read all about elsewhere.
During the course of this 60 minute class, I had a number of epiphanies:
1) I have slowly but surely crept from being 'slightly overweight' to just plain overweight
2) The 360 degree mirror is one of the cruelest inventions ever . I shall no longer laugh when I watch 'How Do I Look' and the 'fashion victim' appears startled when they walk into the 360 degree mirror and see how really bad they look
3) You should never attempt to do Yoga on anything but an empty or near empty stomach!
4) You don't need to wear gym shoes to a yoga class, you're gonna take them off anyway! (I know that one should be obvious, but it wasn't, so there)
5) A well padded waistline is not only a nuisance when you're trying to find a skirt that works, or to pour yourself into that dress you bought last summer and only got to wear once -Why oh why are there so many moves that require you to draw your knees up to your chest?
6) I'm a sweater. No, not agora or cashmere, the water and urea type. I mean bucketloads of it. Okay maybe that one wasn't really an epiphany, but I marveled at the fact that I was the only one dripping all over the mat and floor while the other two ladies just had an elegant sheen of perspiration on their foreheads. And this one's not even about being overweight. I've been all sizes, and I sweat. And yes, I did remember to wipe the mat, even though I'm certain they're disinfected everyday.
7) 'Fluid' took on a new meaning. Really? You're supposed to transition smoothly from being upside side to the 'Hu' position within seconds without losing your balance?
8) My legs are disproportionately long- a trait I share with Wendy Williams. I'm only about 5ft 8" but I have to shop for 'long' or 'tall' pants otherwise my hem is flapping around my ankle like a relic from 'That 70s Show' as I walk. Anyway, this proportion is why I believe its impossible for me to keep my knees straight and my palms on the floor at the same time. I may get better at it with time, but I'm just not sure I'll ever be able to fully assume that particular posture.
Verdict?
I'm glad I went. The cost of one class is much less than I would spend on extras at the supermarket, or dash the random person asking for money, or spend on the unnecessary 'treat' at the drive-in window or ice-cream parlor.
I'm on the road to wellness, and if I lose weight in the process as I'm sure I will, hurray for me, even though I'm not making that the object of my wellness/fitness plan this year.
Bring on the spinning class!
