My new yoga lifestyle

This is essentially how I think I look when I do yoga...
Source: http://yogadogz.com/YD/Yoga_Cats.html#18

So not too long ago I had a bit of an 'episode', as one might say. I suddenly realized that, shit, I'm turning 30 soon! Now I know that half of you are rolling your eyes as you read because 30 is the new 20 and I still have my entire life ahead of me. And I thought so as well... until I watched this TEDTalk:



It really got me thinking: What am I doing that is constructive for my future?

And then I remembered that I have had a similar episode to this one before, and when this impending doom of turning the big 3-0 hit me, I had compiled an entire 30 BEFORE 30 list of goals I need to achieve. What was on it, you ask? Everything from knitting a sweater to  becoming a Registered Holistic Nutritionist! (Yes, I am a Jill-of-all-Trades). My mind is calm and peaceful when I'm working towards something. So making such a list seemed very appropriate.

What I forgot about is that there are a few items on that list that are on-going. They can't be just checked off like #5: Displaying my art work publicly, or # 25: Writing an article that is published in a magazine (double check, by the way!) #12: Practicing yoga (and sticking with it) is one of these goals.

I have been a yoga bandwagon jumper for a few years now. I'll find a deal online and suddenly I'm popping downward dogs 3 times a week for a 2 week stint. I've always felt so envious and intimidated of those yogis and yoginis I see prancing around with their chakras aligned and their third eyes open. I masked my ignorance towards yoga by using the excuse that I'd rather sweat than stretch, but the reality was that I just felt so out of place sitting still on a mat and belting out a vibrating om with strangers around me.

It wasn't until one of my good friends, and fellow sweat-enthusiasts started really practicing and even ended up traveling to India to complete her yoga teacher training, that I really considered committing myself to this ancient practice. She's always encouraged me to explore and try different styles of yoga and so I am.

About a month and a half ago I joined Semperviva and recently have committed myself to their 40 Days of Yoga Challenge. So far it's going great. I'm getting way more benefits from attending the class than just increased flexibility (although that's a huge bonus considering I'm not a super flexible lady).

Physical Benefits:

• My sporadic asymmetrical back pains are gone.
• My hips, hamstrings, and calves are more flexible (I can almost do a full on proper forward fold!)
• My shoulders and triceps are way stronger thanks to all those chaturangas.
• I feel as though my abs/core is stronger than ever.
• I'm sleeping way more soundly.

Non-Physical Benefits:

•  I am slowly but surely letting go of my ego. Yes, that's total yogi-talk for you right there, so let me explain: When I first started going to yoga, my inner wanna-be ('cause I'm not!) competitive athlete came out and the first thing I did when I got to class was size everyone up to find the strongest person. I'd keep my eye on her/him and desperately (but hopelessly) try to out-pose them. It took very little (one sad attempt at a headstand, really,) for me to realize that that is the exact opposite of what yoga is about. Now when I enter a class, I look around, admire all the different levels of abilities, and focus on my own practice, knowing full well that one day, that headstand will happen.
• I'm putting less pressure on myself to be perfect, to live a perfect life, to follow a specific path I think I have all figured out for myself. I don't know if it's the savasana at the end, or the inspirational 'food for though' the yoga instructors feed us at the beginning of class, but for some reason, I'm way less high strung and stressed out about the future. 
• I'm living in the present more often than not. Since I was little my thoughts were always about what I was going to be like when I grew up. Now that I am a grown up, my thoughts circulate around what my career will be like in the future, when will I start popping out babies, what my future house will look like. I can actually drive myself to the point of anxiety over-thinking all of these things. When I leave a yoga class I'm totally refreshed. I notice the sound of the wind between the branches of trees. I notice how beautiful my neighbourhood is on a sunny day. I notice how limber my body feels after my practice. I'm present in the moment, I'm not thinking about what I have to get done in the next hour or the next day. Usually I leave class with a smile on my face and for lack of a less cliche way of putting it... I feel totally zen.

My advice to anyone who is thinking about starting yoga: Don't compare yourself to others, know that you'll have strong days and weak days, and most of all, as with any new habit, stay consistent.

Namaste.