A new student recently stopped me after class and told me “that was the best class I’ve taken yet. It made me want to puke!” – not necessarily what you’d expect to hear after a yoga class!
This got me thinking about the reasons people come to yoga. Reasons often include strength, flexibility, mindfulness, weight loss, relaxation, the list goes on and on. Just like this newer student, I began my journey into yoga looking for a way to get a great workout. I sought out the classes that would push me to my limits, challenge me and make me feel sore for days. I loved how yoga made me feel and I quickly saw physical changes.
However, I also started to notice little changes in my daily life. Like how my breath could calm me down in stressful times or how it was suddenly ok with me to take time to slow down once in a while. I also noticed how I felt like I had been reset after each class. I could arrive at a class frustrated after an argument with one of my children but by the time class was over I felt refreshed and ready to continue my role as mom.
Fast forward to the present day and I now see that I don’t have to have one reason to love and practice yoga. It fills so many needs in my life. It can release a sore neck after I sleep the wrong way, clear my mind and slow me down when life gets hectic (which it often does when you’re a mother of three), and give me that good workout I still crave. No matter what your reason may be to attend a class, know that as you grow in your practice your reasons and needs change. Listen to your body and give it what it needs – even if maybe some days that means pushing yourself to the point of wanting to puke. Enjoy your yoga journey and remember to smile and have fun along the way!
FYI my classes do not make most people feel like they could puke. We move, breathe, challenge ourselves, laugh and have fun!
Chrissy Cauthers teaches weekly classes at Treetop Yoga Studio.