I booked the wrong yoga class, but went with the flow
michaelestrin.substack.com
I knew I was in trouble from the jump. There were sixteen students in the yoga class. Ten of those students were young(ish) women who looked like they never stopped doing yoga, not even to meal prep, drink Kombucha, or sleep. Three of the students were old(ish) women who looked like they had made a commitment, when they were young(ish) women, to the aforementioned nonstop yoga lifestyle. Then there were the dudes: two fitness bros who looked like they chased cheetahs for cardio, grappled gators for strength, and only consumed food and supplements purchased via the Liver King affiliate marketing program. Finally, there was me, an infrequent yogi who never qualified for fitness bro status because my guilty pleasure is laughing at the Liver King’s TikTok videos while lounging on the couch eating carbs.
I’m a yogi who is getting better at hearing my inner voice but needs more practice at actioning on what the voice says. Although I did have the ramen the inner voice insisted on for dinner instead of a salad. Nature isn’t sadistic, but human imagination is to have created the tortuous poses that no normal human body’s can create.
The last thing my inner guide told me to do (20 minutes ago) was to eat fruit for dinner. I like it when the directions are that easy. Apple banana grapes tangerine! Now I am wondering what makes a pose a YOGA pose.
I had two great yoga instructors in Hailey, ID and I still try to attend the yin yoga class when I’m visiting. And best part about these teachers? I can laugh all I want. Even in corpse. Not obnoxiously, of course. But laughter comes naturally for me in yoga. I think it’s a response to challenging poses, a way for me to soften. Ok corpse isn’t challenging but hey, if the instructor says something funny, I refuse to be “spiritually serious” 😉
I’ve been practicing for 30years (with varying degrees of consistency) and still will drop into child’s pose whenever I need to. 🧡
Yoga remains on the bucket list. I still have never commited to it but there is still time. This was fun and your teacher Stella sounded like a great guide.
"... You're too old, too fat, too weak..." Will these inner critics never shut up?? Thank goodness for the Stellas among us who help dampen the spirit-killing noises in our heads and cheer us on. I wish you the best of success, Michael! ( As for me, I am unfortunately of the same tribe as Brian Reindel ...)
Students and teachers compliment me on my poses by saying I'm good at yoga, but I'm terrible at yoga. I'm all ego and spend the entire class comparing myself to everyone else.
Very gratified to know yogis out there have been touched by His Noodly Appendage. Stella sounds like she's got it all figured out. Will you become a regular student of her class? Sounds like you should.
My inner voice tells me to get off the couch. I say Nah-Ima stay.
That one was a bit of a stretch.
I’m a yogi who is getting better at hearing my inner voice but needs more practice at actioning on what the voice says. Although I did have the ramen the inner voice insisted on for dinner instead of a salad. Nature isn’t sadistic, but human imagination is to have created the tortuous poses that no normal human body’s can create.
The last thing my inner guide told me to do (20 minutes ago) was to eat fruit for dinner. I like it when the directions are that easy. Apple banana grapes tangerine! Now I am wondering what makes a pose a YOGA pose.
I had two great yoga instructors in Hailey, ID and I still try to attend the yin yoga class when I’m visiting. And best part about these teachers? I can laugh all I want. Even in corpse. Not obnoxiously, of course. But laughter comes naturally for me in yoga. I think it’s a response to challenging poses, a way for me to soften. Ok corpse isn’t challenging but hey, if the instructor says something funny, I refuse to be “spiritually serious” 😉
I’ve been practicing for 30years (with varying degrees of consistency) and still will drop into child’s pose whenever I need to. 🧡
Yoga remains on the bucket list. I still have never commited to it but there is still time. This was fun and your teacher Stella sounded like a great guide.
"... You're too old, too fat, too weak..." Will these inner critics never shut up?? Thank goodness for the Stellas among us who help dampen the spirit-killing noises in our heads and cheer us on. I wish you the best of success, Michael! ( As for me, I am unfortunately of the same tribe as Brian Reindel ...)
Students and teachers compliment me on my poses by saying I'm good at yoga, but I'm terrible at yoga. I'm all ego and spend the entire class comparing myself to everyone else.
When I listen to my body it tells me to eat more bread and cheese and then chase it down with a chocolate shake. I'm a great listener.
I tried yoga for a bit. In my class, I think I was Most Likely to Have My Pose Gently Corrected.
Very gratified to know yogis out there have been touched by His Noodly Appendage. Stella sounds like she's got it all figured out. Will you become a regular student of her class? Sounds like you should.