Ali and I are fresh off the second class of our 6-week Intro to Yoga journey at YogaLifeNH in Exeter, NH.  It’s only the second week and I am already finding that, not only do I enjoy the class, but that I look forward to it.  I hurt myself pretty badly last week while training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) when someone fell onto my outstretched leg and hyperextended the knee (if you are not sure what that is, it means my leg bent backwards slightly…OW). 

The injury caused an ongoing issue that I have had with the right side of my body to flare up this week.  Basically, everything on the right side of my body is tight.  When I hyperextended my knee, it must have pulled on some stuff because my ankle, hip, shoulder, and arm are all sore.  They have been sore all week since and I did not know how I would take to Yoga this week.

But, I threw on a knee brace and an ankle brace and dove in and ended up being fine.  I was still sore (and still am) but I made it through class without any additional pain.  I suppose the reason for this little tangent is that Yoga is proving to, at least, not be detrimental to existing injuries.  While it is too early to tell if it is going to prevent, or help, them, this is a good sign.

Back to class #2.

This class started similarly to the first class.  Allison, the instructor, started the class off with a discussion and introduction to the 5 Yamas, the first of the eight limbs of yoga.  The five yamas are:  non-harming (Ahimsa), non-falsehood (Satya), non-stealing (Asteya), moderation (Brahmacharya), and non-possessiveness (Aparigraha).  I will not get into these as there are other places that could explain it far better (just do a Google search).  The discussion was ‘ok’ but it was not something that really spoke to me.  Although I agree with the principles (don’t lie, steal, cheat, etc.), it wasn’t something that I felt needed to be discussed, but that could be a ‘guy thing.’ 

This class flowed in a similar manner to the first.  We started with the intro and some back and forth discussion, moved to warm ups, proceeded through the meat of the practice, into relaxation, and then finished with meditation.  The primary focus today was back bends.  In back bends, you stretch the abdominals and ‘release’ the back muscles.  Releasing the muscles basically means that you are giving them a rest by compressing them (they don’t have to work when compressed).  When performing backbends, it is typically important to concentrate on inhalation.  You get more out of the stretch that way.

Assessment

This class was harder for me than the first.  This could be because I was injured, because back bends are a little harder for me, or because I wasn’t feeling as strong for this class.  I am still not familiar with how my body handles yoga so my frame of reference is limited.  My legs were more tired in the standing positions, the stretching was harder in both the seated and kneeling positions, and I continue to struggle with the balance exercises, now a known problem. 

Takeaway

But, I cannot get over how GOOD I feel the next day!  Nothing is sore (aside from what was already injured, though that feels a bit better too).  I feel like I have more energy than most days (and felt energized immediately after leaving the class).  If this is how it is going to always feel, sign me up!  I think that this is going to become a regular practice in my life but I am going to reserve my judgement.  Does anyone else have a similar experience with Yoga?