I had my first ever Yoga session in Cambridge today. It was a beautifully sunny day as Alex and I cycled to Newnham (hello fellow women's college!) for a class in beginner's ashtanga. I haven't done any exercise at all for the past week because my body has been feeling quite tired, and so I was looking forward to something slow and relaxing.
This was probably the best yoga session I've had in my life (Cambridge you have to stop doing this thing where you are perfect in so many ways. Stop. I'm falling in love with you.) Our instructor showed us how to do the different poses, and let us repeat them a couple of times in circuits, as she went round the room correcting or deepening posture and form. One thing I found surprising was when she asked us to put our legs against the wall, with our feet wide apart, and then, with a straight back, slowly lower our hands to the ground. Usually when I stand up and touch my toes I have no problem at all, but because you couldn't shift your weight back to counter balance your torso going forward, you really had to work hard to stay balanced!
At the end of the session, as we were all lying on the floor relaxing with our eyes closed, she came round and gently pressed our shoulders down and massaged some incredible smelling oil into our temples - and everything felt better, like her cool hands somehow dispelled any stress or tightness in my body.
I was so amazed at what the human body can do - God really did an incredible feat of engineering when he created us! We can twist and stretch and bend and control muscles in one part while relaxing another! I'm looking forward to next week's class, and next term!
I cycled back really slowly, savouring the last hours of sunshine.
No comments:
Post a Comment