week 1
I started my month long yoga journey with Jeff Phenix, his 75-minute general yoga class was the perfect place to start. Jeff broke down every pose, calling out and reiterating that a position is not to just be sat in but to be worked at, “you should feel the stretch through the body and engage with every breath.”
Half way into the class it became apparent that my flat feet were going to be an issue and something I needed to work on over the coming month. Any pose that involved me having to use one leg, my ankles would just collapse due to my lack of arch support.
The class was tough, I’m not going to lie, and I came away dripping in sweat. But putting the flat feet, sweat and frustration aside, I had one of the best night sleeps I’ve had in a long time. I woke up the next day with my entire body feeling relaxed and my mind fully rested.
My next class was with Adam Husler. When entering I was surprised by the number of guys in the class. Adam explained that this class was all about rotation and working through that side stretch. He told us to take our egos out of the room and not take notice of others around us.
At times this was hard, as I think it’s a male ego thing to want to be the best, but when I took on-board what he said, my practice instantly improved and I could start to feel the benefit of what he was saying.
When it came to the single leg stand, the curse of the flat feet struck again. I tried to use what I had been taught previously and not allow myself to get frustrated.
The class ended with 5 minutes of relaxation, this is something I normally just lie through and not engage with. I’m making it my goal over this next month to really try and get behind the art of meditation. I think the time has come for me to just embrace it, and who knows what benefits it will bring over the coming month.
week 2
So week 2 didn’t quite start off how I had planned. I had imagined a week of hot yoga but unfortunately an old shoulder injury I encountered a few years back raised its ugly head. After a trip to my physio he advised that I should take it easy on the yoga as the flow of the constant downward dogs could temporarily aggravate the injury.
Not wanting to take a week off from yoga, I thought this would be a good time to try something different and experiment with the more relaxed forms that I’d never tried before. With that in mind I attended Restorative Yoga with Alison Masterman. I was a little hesitant at first, worried that I would be the only guy in a room full of women, this was not the case.
The class started with us getting all the kit from the shelves; bolsters, mats, blankets and these little beanbags which looked like the ones you used in PE lessons at primary school.
Once I found my space we were taken through the process of setting up our area. Alison came round making sure everything was in the correct position for our body. We were told that this class would involve the minimal amount of movement and that we just needed to relax our minds and relax into each posture. Within the first 5 minutes of lying there, I felt my body melting into the floor, almost to the stage where I started to nod off. Alison softly talked us through the process, changing the pose every so often. I came away from the class feeling this to be a great class to introduce someone into the art of meditation.
Having enjoyed the Restorative yoga, I thought I’d take it up a notch and try a Nidra class. This is described as a class of conscious deep sleep. Sleep is something I do not have any problems with, so much so sometimes I think I’m borderline narcoleptic.
But with my goal of trying new things I thought I would give it a go. Our instructor for the session was Elizabeth, she talked us though the process and explained this class would involve no movement, we would just lie back with our trusty beanbag friend over our eyes and listen to our bodies. The goal was to stay in a state of consciousness and not fall into a deep sleep. At this point, fear hit me, a complete class of strangers are about to be introduced to my loud bear like snore.
I must admit, there were times that I started to nod off but I managed to follow the practice, moving the energy around the body from forehead to toe.
After the practice my body felt heavy, my mind awoke and all the daily worries I had when entering the class seemed completely irrelevant. It was the most bizarre feeling.
Next week, the plan is to start incorporating dynamic flow classes back into my routine but offsetting them alongside the mentality restorative sessions.
week 3
What a week I’ve had!!!
Trying to fit in my yoga practice was tough but I’m glad I managed to find a couple of hours to get a few of sessions in. I’m really starting to find yoga beneficial to my overall headspace.
My plan for the week was to take on a few different styles of Hot Yoga, but what with this weeks time constraints, that just wasn’t possible. I did at least manage to get one hot yoga session in with trainer Giorgos Alexandris. The class is listed as a powerful class that is designed to work the whole body, cultivating balance, deep stretch. This was just what I needed after the week I’d had.
As I entered the room, I could feel the heat hit me. It wasn’t an unbearable heat but more like that heat you feel when you step out of your air condition apartment while on holiday in August.
The class started down on the mat, Giorgos took us through our breathing technique, making us place one hand on our belly and the other by our collarbone. This technique instantly made me aware of how I was regulating my breath. I found myself to be most definitely a belly breather.
Once our breathing was sorted, the class could begin. We were taken through a series of movements with it being made clear that we could take different variations based on our own level of ability.
All was going well until we had to start standing on one leg. My feet are flat, like really flat, so for me to stand on one leg has always been a challenge, I really had to fight the urge not to get frustrated with myself. For the rest of the class I was fine and came out afterwards feeling invigorated, but a little dehydrated. Note to self; must remember to drink lots of water prior to attending a hot yoga class.
On the way out after class, I spoke with Giorgos regarding my flat feet and he explained that he too has the same issue but through his yoga practice he has managed to build a small arch in his foot. So this gave me some hope that one-day I too may be able to rid myself of duck feet.
I found Giorgos’ way of teaching really interesting, his class had just the right amount of explanation vs. challenge so with that in mind I went back the next day for his open yoga class.
The class was structured slightly differently to his hot yoga. We again began with the breathing technique as before then started to move on the mat at the steady controlled pace. I think my conversation with Giorgos may have inspired the fact that the class was to focus on legs.
Using the straps and blocks, I managed to keep my balance and go deeper with each pose, whilst being reminded of the need to exhale before stretching further.
We finished the session by working on the way we transitioned between postures. I managed to move from a tabletop to a seated position with legs out in front. Though I managed to get my legs through my arms, the sound my legs made when hitting the floor was more brick being thrown out a window than a feather floating to the ground. But hey, it’s something to practice going forwards.
week 4
So week 4, and what a month it’s been.
To mark the final week, I thought I would try one new class and then head back to see two of the instructors whose classes I enjoyed the most.
My new experience of the week was Yoga for Sport. This was a class that I had wanted to try but the times never seemed to work with my schedule. Instructor Chris Miller took the practice and his knowledge was second to none. With every pose we undertook, he explained the sensation we should be feeling, what we needed to look out for and how to advance the movement should we need it. We were told what props were needed and as soon as he said blocks, I knew we would be venturing onto one leg. I thought, great, bring on the drunken one-legged giraffe look.
The flow of the class was great and I felt my transition between each pose to be much smoother than 4 weeks ago. As someone who does quite a lot of boxing and other sports, I couldn’t recommend this class enough. And what’s really nice to see, was the different levels of abilities within one space. Some people had next to no flexibility but they were there and not giving up.
The final two classes I attended was Adam Husler’s Vinyasa Flow and Giorgos Alexandris Hot Yoga. They may as well have both been a hot classes as I came out looking like I had stood in the shower fully clothed.
Adam’s Vinyasa practice was challenging but as he walks around the room correcting form, he explains what you should be feeling within each of the poses, something that appears to be simple suddenly becomes challenging. The whole practice was focused around the final pose, the Side Crow. Needless to say at the end of the class my side crow looked more like a dead crow but I came away with the principles and something to work on.
Next up was hot yoga with Giorgos Alexandris. I went back to his class because I feel assured when taking his practice. Plus he likes to do a lot of back and hip opening, which I enjoy and found out that I am actually quite good at.
What I have learnt from this month’s yoga experience is that yoga is so much more than just stretching. Every class has been based around a solid foundation of achievable goals. No one was judged but everyone was worked and came away with what intention they had set at the start of the practice.
So thank you triyoga for this opportunity and I hope men who may be hesitant about the prospect of yoga can see that there is nothing to fear.
