This past fall, we joined our local rec center. It’s kind of like a YMCA. We’ve had memberships there in the past, but always felt it was sort of a waste of money due to the lack of things to do. We could use the machines. We could swim. We could use the various courts and track. That was it. All the extra classes available they charged extra for. After several memberships over the past 10 years, we just quit going. It got boring. In an effort to stay fit during the winter we joined again.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that all their group and aquatic fitness classes were now part of our membership fees! This was new. I ran to get a schedule of group fitness classes and, sure enough, YOGA. I was pumped. I had quit going to the all women’s yoga studio I’d found in my town because the women wouldn’t stop talking during yoga. It was distracting and made it not the relaxing “zen” time I needed it to be. I started to do yoga at home via streaming YouTube, but my kids would interrupt me at times. What ultimately shut me down was I just got tired of it. Then we changed our internet service to a jetpack with a limited data plan. I can’t stream anymore. So finding out there were yoga classes available at no extra charge made me so happy!

This was my first week back into yoga. I was SO NERVOUS. I was afraid it would be filled with these really sexy, fit and totally flexible people. I’d walk in with my 40 year old body and feel very out of place. I don’t know what gave me these preconceived notions. The class was filled with average people, young and old, fit and not. The class was an hour and it was the best yoga class I’ve ever attended. The room was quiet. The routine was wonderful. I discovered I had retained more flexibility than I thought. By the time the class was over and it was time for savasana, I realized I hadn’t thought of anything else the whole time: just the poses, my breathing, and what my body was doing and feeling. It was really nice.

It is great to be back!