On Sunday’s there is no WOD at my gym. Instead, a yoga class is offered.
On the one hand, I’m happy for a break. On the other hand, I didn’t know just how hard this yoga class might be. I’ve attended a few yoga classes before in various venues, and yoga does not necessarily equal easy.
My other concern was that the previous yoga classes that I attended were more spiritually oriented than I like. I understand that yoga and meditation are connected, but I feel like there tends to be an assumption that everyone coming to a yoga class shares the same spiritual ideals, those of the instructor. I had actually asked whether the yoga was very spiritual, and been told that it was not, but that’s not an easy thing to define in short conversation.
So I was a little nervous, but I’ve done four of these crazy Crossfit workouts in the last week. I didn’t have much doubt that I could handle a little yoga.
And I could.
I came in with a body battered by an abrupt increase in athletic activity, and I left with a stretched out, slightly less battered feeling body. I’m still sore, but I believe that was an hour well-spent. And not too spiritual for my tastes. The instructor did refer to the yoga as a practice, and it ended with meditation, but it wasn’t the kind of meditation that raises my hackles.
It seemed to be more based on a sort of humanist point of view, of being self-aware and de-stressing than adhering to any particular religious angle. I could appreciate the ideas of gratitude and releasing stress.
And I definitely appreciated the opportunity to move and stretch my body, even if the plank section did feel like hell on my shoulders. It was good to have something a little difficult to push through, while other sections challenged my balance and coordination of multiple tasks (like breathing while pulling the belly in and lengthening the spine and not falling over).
I’ll be going back next Sunday.
And another WOD tomorrow.