yoga

Sam finds her new perfect thing: Yin yoga Fridays

Did you ever find a physical activity that just *clicked* in your life?

For me, right now, it’s yin yoga at noon on Fridays at the campus gym.

Here’s the description of yin yoga, “A series of passive stretch postures held for longer durations to elongate connective tissue. This meditative based yoga class will help you improve your flexibility, mobility and circulation.” Catherine gives a great description of Yin yoga here.

It’s perfect. It’s in a very large room in an older part of the gym. The teacher is calm and helpful. She suggests modifications to the poses in a way that doesn’t sound at all judgmental. “Maybe this version isn’t what your body needs today and you might find this version more relaxing.”

I love the blocks and the bolsters and all of the props that help you get into a pose you can hold for awhile and focus on breathing.

Because it’s all students, staff, and faculty the teacher often mentions stresses that are relevant to university life. She seems to know when the students are extra busy and what’s going on campus that week.

For me, it comes after a long work week at my desk with lots of weeknight bike racing. My body is ready for long gentle stretches held in a quiet room. Usually my Friday schedule is a bit more relaxed than the other days, so I can almost always make it.

I’ve taken to wearing yoga clothes under my work clothes so I can just take off an outer layer and go straight to the class without worrying about getting to the locker room. Since it’s yoga there’s no need for my running shoes.

The class feels perfect in every way. It just clicked into my life and I hope it can stay there for awhile.

Here’s the entry from the 220 workouts in 2022 group.

Purple yoga block

How about you? Did you ever find a class that’s just what you need, with just the right teacher, at the perfect time and place?