week one yoga: booty to the mountains

New as been the theme of my life for the past couple weeks. Everyday I inevitably end up doing something new. Some days it is simply getting lost and ending up in a new part of town. As long as I can figure out north from south, I'm okay. Usually I get to have a conversation with a delightful stranger. Most the time it is nonchalant and harmless as I explain my new arrival to the city and inquire about something I have yet to find (a used bookstore), but occasionally I have to be wary about broadcasting my status, for instance announcing my recent move to the entire line at the Post Office. I have found that speaking with strangers does help me feel a little more connected to the town, or in other words: I have a voice to be recognized* in this town- and hello! Denver, you better recognize!

To fill some of my time between work and church and weekends with friends in the mountains, I have decided to seek out a yoga studio. My TNT coach recommended that I add yoga to my running training. I have always enjoyed yoga! Not a regular yogi but still a BIG fan, I have decided to approach this in the most economical matter possible (read= FREE). Using my trusty EcoMetro coupon book, I have narrowed down all the yoga studios in the area that offer a week long pass. The closest one is located in Golden which is about 15 minutes from my apartment. Let me tell you about the town of Golden. It is one sweet town. From Denver, you just drive straight toward the mountains. The Colorado School of Mines is a prestigious engineering university that is in Golden. As you drive along the highway with the mountains to the west, a giant "M" rests on the mountain, representing the Mines. I find it simply lovely that the town is nestled next to such a peaceful range. I could never tire of watching the sun set over mountains. On the clear evenings, they glow a soft, brilliant iris-blue. A drive up to Lookout Mountain, one of the mountains over Golden, during sunset (or sunrise) would be magnificent.

So here is where my search for yoga has landed me. By nature, I am uncomfortable when I am late, and yoga class is one place I did not want to arrive late. After circling a couple blocks, I give up at the brink of sweating and call the studio. I am trying to use the mountains as a reference point since I know for sure which direction is west (mountains are in the west...mountains are in the west..), but the lady on the phone isn't as compass-minded. Nevertheless, I find the entrance in a back alley close to a public parking lot. I make my way up the stairs to the second floor of the building. The studio is located in a strip center and there are many tenants in the one complex. As I come to the top of the stairs and open the door, I enter a hallway with more doors. Glancing in the first one, I see a stage and auditorium where an usher is escorting incoming theater members. Anxious to find the studio, I step toward the door but quickly sidestep left down the hallway. Rounding the corner, I find another door with the studio's name. I've made it. Inside I find a sweet, young instructor eager to introduce me to all the classes available. Just three minutes before class, I enter the small studio. Silence is observed in the studio. It's full class. But there is one place for one more mat. Thankfully it's in the second row. And between two men. Nice. The one to my left is probably a model or at least an athlete-of-year somewhere. Perfect. Did I mention our mats are about 15 inches apart? Yep, nice and comfy.

Enter instructor. "Hello everyone, I'm just going to adjust the temperature to 92 degrees for this class so it is more comfortable." Excellent. I've been in a hot yoga before and my last memory of it involved buckets of sweat coming from every crevice and non-crevice of my body. This studio is long with mirrors along the front and along one of the short sides. The opposite short side has two large windows. From here the mountains can peer through as if to monitor our practice. The focus of this class is alignment and each posture is focused on maintaining the original balance in our shoulders, spine and hips. Our instructor encourages us to keep our shoulders back and to push our booty to the mountains. Ahhh, yoga not found in Texas. The class is challenging but enjoyable. I am able to safely follow the instructor, and though flexibility is significantly lacking in my practice, I leave satisfied and tired.

After class, I head toward the stairs and almost bump into a small, mustached Johnny Cash. (Just an actor about to enter the playhouse, almost forgot about that.) Downstairs I meet Chuck, one of the newcomers to the yoga class. Sitting on his motorcycle, he is ready for a conversation. Tired, definitely sweaty, and not exactly ready for a convo-with-a-stranger, I quickly nod and continue to walk. Too late. The questions start coming and I can't help but be friendly. He's nice and innocently talkative. Somehow the conversation turns to me and why I am in yoga class. I explain honestly how I am adding it to my running routine, which in turn prompts an observant comment from Chuck, "O yes, I see that you do have thick thighs."

Maybe yoga is supposed to be about myself as a lot of it teaches, but for me it is never about myself. I push and challenge myself because I can. I strive to lead a healthy life and be aware of the way I treat my body. But at the end of the day it is not my own but created for the glory of Christ. I seek to honor Him in everything I do (thick thighs or not). This week I also discovered a new kind of yoga. Holy Yoga is taught by a woman at my church. Last night I attended it for the first time with a friend. The class involves some of the traditional yoga moves along with worship music. The instructor read from the Bible at the beginning and the end. It felt like worship instead of just a workout. I also enjoyed doing it with a room full of people I knew loved Christ. It was more powerful to be a part of the church community. I'll definitely be returning.

That's all I've got for now on my yoga search. We'll see what the next coupon offers.

love,
-s



*Recognized maybe. I constantly duck by the lady camping out in front of the library collecting signatures for something political. Ugh...don't talk to me.