I went to yoga last night. I’m lucky because I get an amazing financial deal on this class through my employer AND I have time to attend the class. My last employer offered onsite yoga classes, but no time to take them. Handy.
I’ve been in and out of yoga several times. My first experience with it was when I was in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade. I’m not sure which year or how long the phase lasted. I only remember the house that we lived in when I was camped out in front of PBS, watching and attempting to follow Lilias Folan’s bendy moves on Lilias! Yoga and You.
My mom bought me my first yoga book when I was that age too. My parents weren’t hippies. I lived in the middle of nowhere in rural Louisiana, sans yoga studios, so I’m sure she thought my newfound interest was at least a little odd. But my mom was cool. She also hooked me up with Flowers in the Attic AND let me watch Guiding Light AND gave me as much sugared cereal and soda as I wanted.
I think I became interested in yoga again when I was in my Masters program. I was still in Louisiana and didn’t have access to classes, so I bought a book and started reading about the philosophy of yoga and the different poses. I may have even tried it out a couple times.
In 2000, when I was living in Seattle the first time (I’m on Seattle, Take 4 now), I took my first official yoga class. I loved it. I loved the studio, the hardwood floors and the way it smelled. I loved how soothing my instructor’s voice was and how he gently helped us get the poses right. He did the best guided Savasana, telling us things like, “think of your body as being made of wax, slowly melting away” or “think of yourself as breathing in a warm light, that makes you glow.” I was hooked. I bought my very own forest green yoga mat and went to 8 Limbs Yoga faithfully, every Saturday morning from 9:00-10:15…for about 3 months. I still loved yoga…I just loved coffee and my couch more.
During my two phases of living in Los Angeles, I tried yoga at YogaWorks in Santa Monica. Hated it. The vibe was too stressy and competitive. Then I tried some other yoga studio in Santa Monica. They kept the studio too hot. Then, when I was living in West Hollywood, I gave YogaWorks in Larchmont Village a try. Just right. I loved going there in the afternoons when I was freelancing and didn’t have an assignment. Then I moved again.
My current instructor was trained in Forrest Yoga. There are so many types of yoga out there. I think I can pronounce most of them, but have no idea what the differences are. I miss the vibe of practicing in a studio (my class is taught onsite where I work), but not the $15 drop-in fee. I’ve been toying with the idea of amping up my practice a little. Adding some extra home practice sessions. Baby steps, I guess. At least I’ve got a good start.