I don’t know much about yoga except that my daughter, Elizabeth, and two daughter’s in-law Lindsay and Kate have all given it a shot. In fact, they’ve done a version called hot yoga. I really wasn’t sure what hot-yoga is, so I googled it. Turns out they just turn up the heat in a room and do yoga. Pretty simple. Not the yoga itself but the act of turning up the heat.
If I recall correctly, the three of them went on a yoga retreat in the desert near Palm Springs, California one year. I’m not sure if they were doing hot yoga or simply doing yoga in a hot climate.
My son, Michael, gave hot yoga go at least once. I recall getting a sweat soaked picture of him and Kate via a text some number of years ago.
When I googled its origin, I learned that “yoga’s roots stretch back thousands of years to ancient India.” It was developed as a “spiritual and philosophical practice designed to help people cultivate self-awareness, inner peace, and a deeper connection between mind, body, and spirit. Over the centuries, yoga evolved from a primarily meditative practice into the many forms that are familiar today.”
Yoga is practiced by millions of people around the world and has become one of the most popular wellness activities. There are several options throughout The Villages. While some people are drawn to it for flexibility and physical fitness, others appreciate its ability to “reduce stress, improve balance, increase mindfulness, and promote overall well-being.” The ultimate is to help people feel healthier, calmer, and more connected to themselves and the world around them.
Barbara takes part in on on-line zoom yoga class four times a week. She’s been doing it for several years and it’s served her well. She’s in great shape. With that in mind, I gave it a shot myself last week. I plan to continue, although I may not take part as often as she does. I’ll probably give it a go a couple times a week and take part in the same zoom class.
If you try it at home, here are a couple of tips. Make sure your front door is unlocked before each session and keep your cell phone—or a reachable landline—close by in case you need to make a call. You see there’s a chance that you could get in a yoga pose that’ll lock you up and if that happens you may need medical assistance.
After trying some of the yoga poses, I wonder if flexibility is a prerequisite or a side effect. A few of them require twisting and contorting your arms and legs into what feels like a tangled mess of limbs.
If I ever tried hot yoga, my biggest concern wouldn’t be the heat. It would be whether someone would have to call for assistance to untangle me from a Lotus Pose or stand me up from a Downward Dog
In a Lotus Pose you sit cross-legged and tuck each foot onto the opposite thigh. Done properly, it promotes inner peace. Done improperly, it promotes a conversation with your chiropractor.
Of all the yoga poses, Downward Dog is the one I understand best. The idea is to look like a dog stretching. It’s a fitness activity with standards I might actually be able to meet. The problem is that dogs make it look easy. After about thirty seconds, I look less like a Labrador and more like a man who dropped his car keys under the couch.
That’s why I’ll never do yoga with anyone in the house with me. If I get locked up, I’d rather have an EMT attend to my needs than a friend who can’t stop laughing. I tend to be a private man when it comes to self-improvement. That’s just how I roll.