Young Original Generous Able

“I wanna last, wanna last forever
I wanna dance, dance, dance all night
Baby bend over, baby bend over
Baby bend over, let me see you do that yoga”- Janelle Mona Yoga..
Yes, I love this song and yes, I love doing Yoga.

If you were born into a Christian household like I was, you were told Yoga was Evil. You may have heard doing yoga meant praying to a different deity other than God. Just like anything in life I have learned to research things for myself. Yes, many yoga practices pray to other deities, while others similar to Vinyasa does not.

Doing yoga is a therapy for me. It allows me to have the quiet I need to reconnect with myself and to have some one-on-one with God. Yoga allows me to focus my negative energy on positivity while creating balance in my life.

I remember going into my first yoga class and seeing women and men of all ages, ethnicities, and sizes. As a 35-year-old, the one thing that stuck out to me the most was seeing a 70+-year-old woman doing a yoga tree extended pose.

I was ready to run out of this class because I could barely touch my toes or do a simple plank, and yet I’m seeing this woman do a tree pose with ease. Although I was discouraged from staying in this class, I looked at this elderly lady and in my mind said, challenge accepted.

Deciding to stay in this class that day, turned into 2-years of yoga practice. Throughout the year’s yoga has allowed me to became more flexible, liberated, and focused in my everyday life. Yoga has helped me to find the courage I needed within me. For me, yoga was a great way to provide me with amazing self-care.

When we look at self-care we generally think about skincare, drinking more water, eating better, and doing basic exercises like sit-ups, push-ups, or going to the gym to lift weights. Self-care can extend to other things such as self-meditation, scripture base readings, journaling, or doing stretch exercises similar to yoga.

Yoga benefits you by:

Improving your sense of stillness
Healthy mind functions and clarity
getting a better night’s sleep
preventing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and auto-immune disorders. Or in my case, helps strengthen my heart
maintaining and improving your muscles, joints, and organs

When doing yoga you should consider a few things

Why are you practicing yoga?

I personally practice yoga for cardio, weight loss, and as mentioned above, for one-on-one time with God.

If I’m a spiritual person, does this practice use mantra or anything else that may be prayers to other Gods/deities?

Some yoga practices do pray to other Gods, please research and find the one right for you

Have I consulted with my physician if I have health issues?

I have a heart condition and I absolutely consulted my cardiologist.

Do I have the right mat, workout clothing, or blocks to practice?

You can purchase yoga mats from as little as $5 at Five and Below or the $100 range at a yoga store. I would highly recommend spending more on a mat to help with your hands and knees.
Please wear yoga pants (or comfortable pants that are not jeans) a good sports bra and heat ventilated shirt.
Yoga blocks are a personal preference, but if you’re new to yoga I recommend it for some positions.

What are the coast and should I do a class/studio research?

Not all studios are good due to higher prices. I have actually done a $5 yoga class that gave me a more intimate and hands-on lesson than those at a high priced gym or studio. Shop around and find the best option for you.

What type of yoga class should I try?

There are so many class options from restorative, slow flow, power flow, heated, and Barre Yoga just to name a few. I personally love a power flow and/or heated class but again choose the one that works for you.

How often should I Yoga?

With this pandemic, I have slacked a lot. But, 2-3 days 45-min to 1 hr. per class in a week is recommended.

As you embark on your yoga journey, remember yoga is for you and no one else. Find out what style works best for you. The main thing I learned was to not compare myself to anyone else in the class. Everyone is on their own personal journey.