Yoga

“Words fail to convey the total value of yoga. It has to be experienced.” B.K.S. Iyengar

Initially, when we moved to India last June, I didn’t want to join anything. I didn’t want to feel like I had to be somewhere at a certain time. I wanted to be free to go here or there on a whim and not be chained to a schedule.

But then after Christmas I realized the impossible had happened – weight gain in India! So I started to go to the gym once in a while. Friends of mine had started taking yoga and raved about it. I still put it off but in February I decided the gym wasn’t all that fun, maybe I should give yoga a try.

I called up the yoga instructor and she said she had an opening for an 8:00am class.

“How about 9:30 I asked?” I didn’t mention that I'd rather have my coffee and read the paper or watch Friends reruns at 8:00am. But, no luck. So I told her to call if she had any openings for later classes.

Well, she didn’t call. So a few weeks later I called again and said I would try it, even at the earlier time. I went and I haven’t looked back. In fact the early classes are much better. You are supposed to wait three hours after a meal to do yoga or an hour after a snack. Thus, the earlier the better otherwise you starve. And it’s true, with all the twisting and turning it doesn’t feel good to do yoga on a full stomach.

Now, I’m totally on the yoga bandwagon. I’ve bought two books on yoga and I’m doing it at home, as well as classes twice a week (1 ½ hours each). I think it is such good way to keep fit. It strengthens every part of your body and it feels good. Unlike going to the gym where you feel exhausted at the end of it, with yoga you feel rejuvenated, like you are doing something really good for the body.

Problem: my yoga instructor is leaving in July! I’m so disappointed. I’ll have to find someone else but so far I haven’t found anyone that teachers the type of yoga I am doing: Iyengar Yoga. The closest teacher seems to be in Jayanagar, an hour from my house. Not only that but the class is Sunday mornings at 8:00am. So far Sunday morning coffee looks like it is going to win out, but you never know…