Spiritually speaking....

For years people have been encouraging me to do yoga and for years I said no. All that look through your third eye and learn to breathe stuff left me sceptical (I already breathe in and out countless times a day instructively in order to stay alive, i don't need to pay for a class to teach me that thank you very much!). But time and time again it was recommended to me as a brilliant form of exercise and relaxation. I'm  a stressy person by nature and rarely find the time to really relax so in theory a class that counted as both a work out and a way to relax should tick two boxes yes? Well i didn't think so- with no obvious cardio involved i didn't see how yoga could really be classed as exercise and having to actually go to a class didn't seem very relaxing to me. I was unconvinced.


Then, a few weeks ago the Shoreditch Sisters W.I. meeting that I attend each month had a yoga night. Keen for a catch up with friends and never wanting to miss out on activities at meetings I gave it a go....and now I'm hooked! 


Since my first yoga class that night I have joined a Bikram Yoga class and have been going every other day. Bikram is not the traditional form of yoga that I tried with the W.I. girls but is performed in a room heated to 40 degree centigrade in order to maximise sweating creating a detox effect. It also helps your flexibility to improve faster as your muscles respond more quickly when warm. 


I am really enjoying the classes and for the first time in my life I realise what it means to be truly relaxed. All the times I thought I had been relaxed before, the thoughts were still rushing through my head. Of course its human nature to think and we cant ever truly clear our minds of all thoughts but we can take those thoughts, acknowledge them and then file them away for later rather than following their progression. This is something I could never do before and since learning how to do this I find I can sleep so much better.


In addition to this I feel more flexible, and my skin feels so much better even after the few classes that I have been to. It is definitely something that I intend to keep up and have already recommended to mum!