PinoYoga

Going Back to Class

I have this inkling that yoga is supposed to be a big part of my life now. I don’t know yet why and where it will take me, but I’m going with it anyway. I came upon yoga over a decade ago, but I never really developed a consistent practice. I would take classes here and there, drop out for one reason or another, practice at home, stop practicing for a long spell, then enrol in a class again.

I decided to break the cycle after a friend dragged a group of us to yet another yoga class a couple of years ago. Somehow, at that time, it felt right. I haven’t renewed my membership at that yoga studio, but I have been practicing at home for over a year now.

Home practice has its pros. I can take my time with the asanas and savor all that energy flowing through a stretch. Or finally get myself balanced before moving on to the next pose. Or, if I turn off the yoga podcast, I hear nothing else but my steady breath, the chirping birds and the rustling tree leaves outside on an early morning. Another plus: I don’t have to change out of my pajamas either.

But, as I’ve discovered, one cannot live on home practice alone.

I have been hankering for some guidance. And while the podcasts of yoga classes I follow at home help, it’s still different when you have a live teacher in front of you who will remind you to breathe, relax your neck and shoulders, or help you with a pose you’re struggling with.

Last Saturday was my first day back in yoga class and my first time with Pinoyoga.  I was happy to find that it was a small class of dedicated practitioners instead of a huge room with a battalion of people. The class was invigorating, and it took me out of my usual grind of  an asana sequence that my body and mind have already become used to. It was just what I needed.

I know that yoga is a continuous learning experience. I intend to make these classes a huge part of that. Who knows where I’ll end up this time? I’m pretty sure it’s going to be some place good. — Owen Santos, contributor