just me, my body, and a mat

I found out I have scoliosis in 2009 due to chronic back pains. The doctor required me to undergo physical therapy to minimize the back pains and to teach me exercises that would strengthen my back muscles. He has always encouraged me to exercise and engage in other physical activities. But the lure of slouching on the couch to watch something on the telly or to read a book or surf the internet has won me many times over.

My job usually requires me to sit in front of a computer pouring over emails and data that I make sense of. I realized that I was in worse shape than I ever was when my back pains intensified. When I went back to the doctor to have it checked, the scoliosis has progressed and this is a development you don't want to hear. This is why since last year, I had been interested in practicing yoga.

I don't really remember how I found out about yoga but whichever way I found out, the important thing is that it piqued my interest. But I was anxious of joining a class. First, membership is a bit pricey. Cost per class is not cheap either. While it is affordable, I didn't know if it was worth the money.

Second (and most importantly), I felt intimidated because I know I am not flexible - let alone strong - enough to hold the yoga poses I see a couple of my friends post on instagram. I didn't want to be in a class of good students and be the only student who's way behind all the others. I didn't want the attention a teacher gives a student who's doing poorly. This is the main thing that has held me back from attending a yoga class.

But alas! I have recently discovered the joys of yoga.

Last Wednesday, I signed up for a New-to-Yoga trial pass at Urban Ashram Manila. Sometime in May, I saw a deal in Deal Grocer for a 15-day access to unlimited classes for only Php 1,000 (originally at Php 1,500). I immediately bought a coupon thinking it's affordable enough whether I end up liking the experience or not. That has got to be by far the best impulse purchase I have ever bought this year.

I signed up for the Flexibility Not Required (FNR) class last Wednesday. I just brought with me a yoga towel, water bottle, and change of clothes as I have been instructed. The class was taught by Janaka and it started on time. As an afterthought, the worries that had held me back from joining a yoga class were unnecessary. As soon as I laid on the mat and followed the instructions of the teacher, the entire room melted away. It was just me, my body, the mat, and the instructions that I needed to follow.

I don't know if I were the only person in the room that time that was new to yoga. I didn't notice and with a mat behind my back while on corpse pose, I didn't care. The instructions were fairly easy to follow. But it takes a while to get the body used to the poses and it was during this time that I appreciated the attention a teacher gives to a student who needs guidance. Yes, in that yoga class I did not feel that I was doing poorly. In fact, the spirit of competition wasn't even there and it was such a wonderful feeling to be in a place where you only have to think of yourself, to see yourself for who you are and what you are capable of without comparing your abilities to other people.

We started in corpse pose and ended in corpse pose. In between we did planks, cobras and downward dogs. We also did the happy baby pose, the eagle pose and poses I forgot to take note of. We even use the straps! I don't normally sweat a lot but during class, I did and it felt wonderful.

The following day was not easy though as I felt a bit sore in so many places I have never given much thought of. I think yoga brings awareness to your entire body and how each part relates to the whole. So even though I felt sore in so many parts all over, the important thing is I felt great. Each sore part is a wonderful reminder that I am doing my body good. On a side note, I've had sore muscles before, mostly after a day of hiking (such as that first hike in Pico de Loro and that gruelling day hike to Tarak Ridge) or each time I'd push myself to run (back when J and I still ran in BGC and UP). But the soreness I felt last Thursday was different in that it wasn't as painful as the ones I experienced before and it was tolerable and not unpleasant and uncomfortable.

I like that I can reserve a class at Urban Ashram Manila online. It's so convenient! I went back on Saturday and that time we still did a lot of planks, cobras and downward dogs. We also did the warrior pose many times over and using the blocks, we did the triangle pose.

I never thought I'd fall in love with yoga as fast as I did. I'll be attending my third FNR class tonight and I'm looking forward to feeling the world melt away when it will just be me, my body, the mat, and the instructions that I need to follow until I join a chorus of om. Til then, namaste.