Like I mentioned before, I’ve been to a couple random gym yoga classes, had a DVD from the beautiful Rodney Yee, and always had these great intentions to do yoga. Maybe it was that inner ballerina that I never gave a chance to as a little girl, maybe it was the idea of being able to do crazy, bendy, pretzel things, but either way the interest has always been there. So as of one very mind-opening month ago I’ve officially joined the millions of people who have made yoga part of their daily lives.
The impetus for this yoga-tastic adventure was truly having nothing else to do. I had a little less than a month between the time I finished my first year of an MBA (note: in desperate need of stress relief) and beginning a very exciting summer internship (note: in desperate need of soothing some nerves/anxiety).
With that in mind I found Jiva Yoga Center in Hilton Head, SC (home sweet home) and signed up for a month pass.
**I’d like to just include here something that I haven’t seen other people address all that much. The nerves!! I don’t know that I’ve ever been so nervous to go to a class in my life; finance class included! So yes, my fellow novice yogis, nerves are normal. If you’re not nervous then we might have to discuss that ego thing again from the first post.**
Luckily everyone who works/teaches at Jiva is friendly, smiling, and more welcoming than even a southerner might expect. As soon as I sheepishly walked through the door, I was greeted with warmth and made to feel less like an intruder on some kind of yoga VIP section. Because let’s be honest, some of these people can be intimidating with their incredible arms and beautiful posture as they just sort of glide past you into the studio (and of course donning fancy Lululemon gear that makes them look even more stunning!).
All that aside, the teachers and other incoming students had this happy glow about them that made me feel at ease - I wanted to glow too! So off with the shoes and into the studio I went…
So the goal here is to recount my first experience with yoga. Problem is that I honestly have no idea when that was. Over time I’ve tried to incorporate yoga into my life somehow through DVDs or random classes at a gym/college/whathaveyou. Those never stuck - shocker, right?! So I just wanted to make it clear that what I’m all excited to share with you as my First Legit Yoga Experience is not technically the first time I’ve ever tried this. It is, however, the first time I’ve ever tried yoga in a dedicated yoga studio and gone more than once. It’s all about creating the routine, right? So yes, I completely love Rodney Yee, he wasn’t the key to that turning point that changed an interest into an obsession. It was a magical place called Jiva Yoga Center in Hilton Head, SC.
Just in case you’re still in the DVD phase, here’s a link to the one that I was using before I discovered the greatness (albeit unbelievably pricey - we’ll save that conversation for another post) of the dedicated yoga studio: Yoga Burn with Rodney Yee
So while this is a first post, we’re coming in at about (hmmm…almost exactly) a month into my yogic adventure. So far I’ve tried a few different styles, gotten all geared up, and made a complete fool of myself several times over. Let me just state this up front: there is no place for ego in yoga. If you bring it with you into the room, I can pretty much guarantee you’re going to leave the room without it. Which is a good thing! One of the greatest takeaways I’ve had from the past month is that once you’re able to accept that you can’t possibly do everything perfectly (or at all) from the start, it actually allows you to take on a bit more risk. And this holds in everyday life. Sure, I’m going to screw a few things up at the beginning, but that’s what “practice” is all about. I’m not going to get all preachy here, but if you’re like me and have this awful tendency to not do something at all because you’re relatively sure you won’t do it well (perfectionists unite!), then maybe a little ego destruction is what the Ayurvedic doctor called for. Seriously - try it! Or just follow me around while I continue making a fool of myself and in the meantime you can muster up the courage to follow my less-than-graceful lead.
