I am grateful for being assigned this learning project because it gave me the push I’ve always needed into trying yoga. It has been something I have always wanted to do and I am so glad that it is the journey I chose to embark upon.
When I first began in January, I had never experienced yoga before. I have a dance background and enjoy barre fitness classes who use some yoga poses in their stretching. I created a goal of doing 2-3 yoga sessions per week that I was hoping to stick to.
I explored a variety of different online resources including websites, YouTube and iPhone apps. Some of my favourites were the Yoga Down Dog app, Yoga with Adriene videos on YouTube, and Yoga for Beginners | Mind+Body app, as well as a favourite classroom resource, Cosmic Kids Yoga.
I learned that yoga originated in Ancient India for people to “still the mind” and that the word yoga in the language Sanskrit means “union”. It is all about uniting the physical, mental and spiritual (or mind, body, spirit) practice with a large focus on breathing. I tried to work on all aspects of yoga as I continued through my journey.
I found that the timing of my yoga practice was what kept me consistent and sticking to my weekly goals of 2-3 sessions per week. I enjoyed yoga nidra and dedicating evenings to connecting with my mind and body before going to sleep.
Throughout these months I was able to work on my stamina, consistency, and mindfulness. Yoga allowed me to reconnect with my body postpartum.
As for the future… I hope to try in person classes including hot yoga. I have enjoyed my at home sessions, but I am ready to try out a yoga studio for the full experience.
To my readers, thank you for following along my yoga journey. I have appreciated your positive comments and feedback throughout the course. I wish you all the best with your future endeavours in your learning journeys and as educators.
Namaste.
Hi Megan,
I’m so glad that through this class you found yoga! It is something that I used to love and practice all the time and fell out of it trying to do a 30 day challenge (30 practices in 30 days.. each class was 90min.. it was too much). So my suggestion to you is to keep it fun, don’t push too hard! After school is done I will be refocusing my practice and will take after your practice and try for 2-3 days a week!
If you have any open electives to use, you should check out KHS131!! It was a lot of fun this semester! And yoga in real life, check out Oxygen Yoga studio!! They have punch cards you can use and it is kind of like hot yoga but they use infrared lighting so it is a nice intro to hot yoga!
Namaste!
Hey Megan!
Great reflection post on your yoga journey. This has inspired me to try yoga in the near future. I have been having some back issues lately, and I think I need to get in the habit of doing some good, strengthening stretches. Thanks for listing some of the resources you have used. Makes it easier for when I get into yoga.