Day 4; The #PlayOutside Challenge

Controversial Views on Yoga

 I'm gonna say it;

I don't think I like yoga.

I love learning new things about myself and yesterday I found out that yoga isn't my thing.

I've done yoga before; a beautiful friend of mine, Rosie, teaches yoga and we've had many a session with her. I always loved the post yoga breathing, the relaxation techniques at the end of each session and gaining that feeling that I was doing something good; something that connected me, spiritually, to my inner self and the earth, but personally, I always feel more at peace with myself and with nature when I'm standing on a hilltop overlooking a valley or when fully immersed in the sea.

 I feel like paying for yoga is like paying for someone to tell me to do things with my body that I have the full capability of doing by yourself at home. Kind of like paying to use the treadmill at the gym; you have the full capability to run wherever you like in this world.

If on average you run 3 miles a day, just think about all the landscape your eyes would ingest if you ran outside.

It's easier and cheaper to do an online yoga tutorial or even make up your own.

 I do quite like finding out that my body can do shapes and bend in ways that I didn't know it could do previously, and that's about as much joy as I get from yoga.

I think the problem is that I'm not patient enough.

It doesn't relax me in the way that it's intended.

I did however like the part where you cross your legs, put them straight above your head, grab your feet and rock up into sitting-up cross-legged.

Now that's more like it.

 When I'm doing yoga, I find myself feeling as though I'm trying to calm myself and move in slow motions, but a voice inside me is screaming to just shake all my limbs and go mad.

Kind of like when trying to relax in a really hot bath.

Relaxed, but so tense.

A mixture of - should I stay? - or - should I get the hell out of here? -

Perhaps I am more suited to a more upbeat kind of yoga.

This 'hatha yoga' that people talk about.

 Today, my tummy hurts, so I know it worked.

My muscles are tight and it feels good to laugh.

It's good to know I pushed my body during the session, even if I decide to never bother again.