Ommmmkay. I’m into yoga?

by ateliermotives

Tank & tights by Victoria’s Secret Sport. Miniature muscles, my own.

If you take a yoga class and it’s not at a sleek boutique studio in a trendy neighb with a clever moniker, luxe toiletries, uniformed staff and a merchandise section, did it even happen?

Fitness culture is trending towards the extreme in every way. Workouts that truly push you to your physical limits, classes that cost $35 a pop, outrageously expensive gear à la Lululemon, wearable tracking devices that record your every movement, etc. Beyond all of this there seems to be an overwhelming cultural need to belong to a particular type of fitness such as Soul Cycle, Pure Barre, TRX or Zumba. Maybe once you figure out what you like and what works for your body, you stick to it. Or you know a 45-60 minutes class with someone telling you what to do is an efficient way to work out. Someone yelling at you from a bike on a podium or adjusting your arms in a faux ballet studio may totally be your thing. I get it.

I’m equally guilty as I prefer these aggressive, fast-paced classes. I love the loud music, the big mirrors and the chance to show off my sport wardrobe that’s expanding at an absurd pace. But lately I’ve been trying to do more yoga and Pilates. Yoga is so boring to me in every way. The music is blah. The class seems painfully slow. Getting my mind to shutoff is nigh impossible. A class takes all of my patience. However, after a particular yoga sesh a few weeks ago, I started start to see this type of fitness in a new light… literally.

My employer offers fitness classes in the office, so occasionally I do yoga in an empty conference room-turned-workout- zone. It’s so progressive, it hasn’t caught on. During my last class, the instructor spoke softly and it all clicked for me; “effort and ease,” she said. I had never heard yoga described this way, but it couldn’t be more true. It perfectly explains the push and pull; the balance of exertion and control. Channeling your strength into strong, fluid motions and directing your breathing and patience is a different kind of challenge than spin or boot camp. It’s about pushing yourself to go through each movement intentionally and carefully. When you get really good at it, you’re using effort but doing so with ease. It all made so much sense. Mind, blown.

The class started to wind down. The evening sun poured in from the west-facing windows. The rays landed on my face, and as I peered through the orange light I knew I was experiencing my own Oprah “Aha” moment, in a small conference room, in midtown west.