Reflections on yoga

I have been reviewing my blog. What a catalogue of food obsession eaten and not eaten over a year! This particular blog has been dedicated to the joy of yoga, by way of a change.

Last night, I sat outside the studio full of dread of moving my body, I felt tired and with the only desire to lie supine on the yoga mat and fall asleep. The leisure centre corridor was quiet and it would have been easy for me to slip away back to the car park. It was a little like waiting for a doctor's appointment, which you know will be beneficial in the end. Other victims soon arrived and we chatted about yoga related things, afraid to branch out.

The door was opened and the throng hurried in, in order to bag a good yoga mat and a good space in the studio. It always amazes me how the oldest move quickest in these situations!

The studio was warm and smelled of school halls. I lay on my blue sticky yoga mat and waited for the teacher to arrive. There is something comforting about being in the hands of an experienced teacher. She arrived smiling with her file of that night's yoga positions full of enthusiasm, whilst she rolled out her mat and beamed at everyone.

I have two yoga teachers. This particular one is on themes at the minute- last weeks was the joy of diagonal movements tonight's theme was bends. So we lay down in the corpse position, a position which i can hold for hours. I sometimes wish the whole session was like that. Spine touching floor, eyes closed, lights dimmed.

We then bent a lot. Not before she tried a wacky shiatsu massage on ourselves, starting with our fingertips on our head like raindrops, patting out arms, rubbing our tummies, hitting our bottoms and rubbing our thighs. There was partner work- we had to lightly hit the back of our partner. I got the fragile yet speedy elderly lady- it's odd touching a stranger. It was the weirdest thing I've ever done in a yoga class.

So we bent. It was hard and required concentration, the sort that maths and art also requires. Which arm goes where? How do i get my leg there?

So my muscles were stretched and challenged and they felt great- I felt great. Then it was time for the corpse position again. Lying down with warm layers on, listening to a visual meditation about being on the beach and then floating in the sea. Lights on. Home time.

The feeling of having done a yoga session is amazing. You don't feel like you've done any work because you recall the relaxation and the desire to sleep. Yet your muscles have been worked and are much much stronger.

I'm addicted to my two sessions a week, plus extra practise at home. Its a really peculiar thing how some moves are easy yet others are challenging. The body develops unique habits so that each individual struggles with different things. It's certainly no team sport, which I abhor.

I'm off for a walk this afternoon, further afield than normal, the sun is shining and it's a glorious day.