New Class, New Classmates

It is yet again a new yoga class. Each time with the start of a new class, there will be new and old faces.

The old faces represent friendships built through numerous sessions of sweat and panting of doing sun salutation together. We have seen one another wobble when we attempt the Tree. We have laughed together at ourselves when we dare not flip backwards during a plough. We sing together when we do breathing exercises together.

The new faces remind us of ourselves when we first stepped into the class more than a year ago. Filled with anticipation of taking up a new exercise regime and trepidation of the need to be flexible, we have braved through both mental and physical hurdles till now that we are more comfortable with our own bodies.

One of the new faces seemed abit nervous and asked us how long we have been taking lessons. When I told her I have been taking for about 1.5 years, she asked why I had not progressed to the next phase, ie a more advanced class. Trying to assure her, I told her I was not very good in my current stage to think beyond this. She seemed abit taken aback. I wondered if she thought she had gone into a wrong class where no one improved even after a year of practice.

Well, actually, my teacher would teach different positions each series. To cater for beginners and those who have some experiences with yoga, he would have both easy and difficult positions in each class. To the experienced, the easy positions would help warm us up to prepare us for the more difficult positions. It also served as a refreshment course for us to perfect our positions. To the beginners, the easy positions would build confidence. For the difficult positions, it would stretch the experienced further. To the beginners, it would be a challenge which would motivate them to strive beyond their comfort zones.

In addition, teacher never stops anyone who wants to take a rest if a certain position is beyond his or her current stamina. His mantra is that you will know your body best. There is no point in stretching your body to a breaking point and straining yourself and putting you off yoga. As much as we should try to stretch, we must never use up every ounce of strength in the stretch. We must at all time retain one-tenth of our strength so that when our body is about to give way, we can use this remaining strength to bring our body back to the original position rather than suffer a fall.

Despite a year into yoga, I still feel like a very beginner even in the simplest breathing exercise. No worries, I will continue with my practice. :-)