2012 challenge - yoga

I have a distinct memory of attending a local yoga class about 10 years ago. I was instantly hooked. Prior to yoga, I had been a rough and tumble athlete: diving for the basketball, sliding into 2nd base, getting muddy on the soccer field. Yo seemed so different, so elegant and graceful. As much as I love the adventure of the basketball court and the adrenaline of team sports, I always wished that i’d had the patience and focus (not to mention time) to take a dance class. Yoga felt like that chance.

The summer after freshman year I checked out every yoga DVD from the library, tested them all out and made a list of my favorites. I still have the set I bought initially and though i’ve since added to my collection, I will pull that first one out every once in awhile. After college I joined a gym for a few years. The main motivation was their three weekly yoga classes. But eventually I moved and yoga has been a little lost in the shuffle of running, circuit training, cross fit and other activities.

Over the years I’ve done yoga with coworkers in empty classrooms, in a panoramic room of a cabin on a lake in Montana, early in the morning on the  balcony of my apartment and on the hardwood floors of various gyms. At certain times, yoga has been my main sport so much that my living room was arranged to accommodate my yoga mat and accessories; More recently yoga has been my route to recovery from injuries, an opportunity for fellowship and relationship building, a welcome moment of calm in an otherwise full and busy schedule. 

I look forward to joining the YogaJournal 21-day yoga challenge as I have for the last few years. It is a simple and intentional way to start the year, reflecting on where I’ve been and looking toward where I am headed.