Finding myself in the down dog position.

I was always under the assumption that yoga carries a certain reputation in today’s society
and time. I perceived it as something for housewives, social media influencers, or working
women to do and then grab a health smoothie afterwards and talk to the other yogis about
their lives, gossip, or the recent episode of this week’s reality tv show. It wasn’t really a
space that should be infiltrated by someone with a Y chromosome. Well, that was my
perspective on yoga but somewhere along the road it changed.

I first started dabbling with yoga when the initial lock down came knocking. I think we all
grasped at weird little things that would have kept us sane during the pandemic. For myself,
it was just a quick five to 10 min sun salutation to keep boredom from overwhelming me.
And the little bit of exercise can only do one good. I was not overly fond of yoga at this time,
but it was the start of a beautiful relationship that yoga, my mat and I share. It was a year
later that one of my friends opened her own yoga studio when I decided that I will support
her (like a good friend should have) and give this yoga thing a valid attempt. And that was
the instigation of my relationship with yoga. But like most relationships it has got its ups and
down dogs.

I was fairly apprehensive walking into the studio for my first yoga session under professional
supervision to commence. The saying goes ignorance is bliss and I totally agree with that
statement. If I had known that a yoga session is a little bit more than just light stretching I
doubt I would have partaken. At the end of the session I had sweat dripping down as if I had
just sprinted a kilometre in the middle of the Karoo in summer. Immediately I was thinking
well that was fun, but “adios yoga, it has been real”. However, I found myself going back
week in and week out, and it was not just for the fitness aspect of it. Not at all, there was
something soothing to the soul every time I finished the vinyasa flow and found myself in
the dead man pose.

Yoga has made me break down certain social barriers in the way that I perceive life. As I
have stated before, yoga was never something that I saw myself partake in as I put it in the
same boat as Pilates, something that is not meant for someone with testosterone. Yet, here
I find myself, gym bag packed with my yoga mat and towel waiting for the next class and
writing an article about yoga. I view life now with a certain open mindedness and willing to
accept and even try new things. I might be stubborn sometimes, but I generalise to get my
point across.

Personally, I do not fully comprehend the concept of “aligning one’s chakras and getting the
mind body in soul intact” and how it goes hand in hand with yoga. I am fairly close minded
when it comes to these supernatural aspects of life where there is not really a logical
explanation for things. However, can I say that I feel a little bit more relaxed after yoga?
Well not physically because as mentioned earlier, it is an intense work out that works
certain muscles in my body that I never even knew existed. But mentally, oh boy, it is dare I
say it euphoric when you walk out of that session. It allows you to detach from the
thoughts, problems, stress and bad vibes of your life for an hour. You walk out there feeling
that you have attended a self-help seminar by just doing some simple stretching and
breathing, to put it in Layman’s terms.

It is mind boggling to think how yoga has taught me that you can face most of your
problems by just doing the simple act of breathing. Just focusing on your own breath allows
you to be calm and view certain situations, obstacles, difficulties, and complications with a
clearer head. Because if we are being honest, us as humans perform at optimum potential
when our mind is clear, and body is relaxed. I would be a hypocrite if I said I perfected it and
nothing stresses me out, but once I just take the time to relax it is a different ball game.

I would not classify myself as a yogi just yet. Yoga has definitely had a positive impact on my
life thus far. It has given me the opportunity to escape from everything when I get on my
mat and start of with a sun salutation right through to ending with the dead man’s pose. It
also allowed me to push myself into trying something that I have never thought I would
even attempt. But most of all, yoga has taught me how you must get uncomfortable to
become really comfortable.