week 1
Being a late addition to the mat men challenge turned out to be a blessing. It meant my brain had little chance to process what I’d signed my body up to, so the usual first time nerves didn’t have time to take hold as I hurriedly booked myself into two classes on consecutive days. There was plenty of advice online or a phone call away at triyoga, to help guide me through a huge variety of yoga styles I never even knew existed! It was also great to find a broad range of timings to cater to even my extremely hectic schedule (I’m writing this blog on my jubilee line commute in order to fit it in!). I’d chosen Kundalini for my first ever experience of yoga and was really looking forward to it. Coming off the back of the busiest couple weeks I’ve had so far this year, I was seriously stressed and tired of life, which made me eager to see if yoga could really make a difference.
Arriving early in order to get familiar with the triyoga centre I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was and how good the facilities were. The team were friendly, welcoming and made sure I knew all the essential information.
The class itself was fantastic! From the moment I walked into the studio I felt comfortable. A quick chat with the teacher allayed any fears about not being able to keep up – it was totally ok to go at my own pace. There was also another beginner in the class, and 2 other men, so I wasn’t alone on both those counts. Our teacher explained things very clearly so it was easy to follow along. Kundalini challenges you physically, mentally and spiritually, so I feel it’s a very accessible way to be introduced to yoga and get a taste of all those aspects. After the class I felt great, I’d really enjoyed it, plus I had a feeling of accomplishment that I’d got out of a comfort zone and pushed myself to try something new and different. My 3 biggest takeaways from my first yoga session; 1) Physically it’s way more demanding than it looks! 2) My normal breathing is crazy shallow compared to what I achieved by applying a little focus. 3) I can’t keep my eyes closed – probably due to being continually over stimulated throughout my normal day.
The second class, yoga for sport, was booked for Saturday morning as I wanted to start off the weekend in a positive way. My usual exercise regime includes weightlifting which has left me with tightness and imbalances in certain areas so it was an obvious choice.
Again I arrived early and had a chat with the teacher explaining I’m new to yoga and although I wasn’t doing much sport, I was hoping the class would help with my gym issues. He asked if I had any injuries and advised me to sit quite centrally in the class so I could see him and also a few others so that as we progressed through movements I’d always have someone to follow in case I needed it. This is good advice for any class – it’s best to avoid the temptation to hide out at the back!
This class was even more physical and really did feel like a workout too. He offered variations for those more capable or experienced, and I tried to push myself to take some of those on. If needed, he would come and gently correct my form or give advice on how to really get the most from a stretch or pose without singling me out or making me feel uncomfortable.
There were points where I was really sweating it out under the effort required and it was on a par with a gym workout but in a different way, working different areas of the body. After the session I felt good, sort of strong and relaxed, and quite energetic. I noticed my shoulders had dropped and felt more supple and agile.
All round it’s been a great experience thus far, and I’m looking forward to trying more styles over the coming weeks and really pushing myself to embrace yoga and get the most out of this challenge!
week 2
Week 2 started with Inner Axis – a very modern form of yoga designed to alleviate the stress and pressure placed on us by today’s hectic lifestyles. The focus is on sleeplessness, stress and anxiety – which sounded particularly apt for me, as well as being an ‘open’ session which meant it would cater for all abilities. Our teacher explained a little about how Inner Axis came about and its founder which was interesting and set a background to the whole practice. The class was very small, just 4 of us yet surprisingly 3 were men, which was a nice surprise as I hadn’t expected that ratio in any class – it was good to see. The small class size meant we had a lot of 1-2-1 attention from the teacher who was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The yoga itself was mainly breathing exercises and drawing up positive energy through the body. The breathing was ‘open mouthed’ which was very different, and a bit strange at first, but did make it feel like I was moving a much larger volume of air and really expanding my chest and lungs. By the end of the session I definitely felt calmer and more relaxed.
My next class was Vinyasa Flow Yoga, which turned out to be very popular with at least 30 people – but there were only a few other men this time. The style ‘flows’ between yoga poses while co-coordinating with breathing, and although starting off gently the intensity increased as the class progressed. The teacher offered variations for those at level 2 to challenge them even further, but as this was my first session I stuck firmly to the basics – which was fine, and again the teacher came and offered assistance where needed to correct my form. I felt I learnt a lot as we worked through a lot of the more common yoga moves that I had seen before online or on TV, I think making that connection helped and really felt that I was ‘doing yoga’. Overall I think this is a good class for newbies like me.
After this class I felt like I’d worked quite hard physically, and made good progress in developing the connection between muscle movement and breathing.
Check back here to see how Shan gets on throughout weeks 3 and 4…
