Hit the Reset Button

I promised a "Big Reveal" at the end of my last post, and even though it's been a few days since then, I haven't quite composed my post about it yet.  I will. For now, I didn't want to leave my blog another week without a new post, so here's my account of the first trip back to my mat after nearly 3 weeks off.

It's Tuesday night, and I unroll my mat with a bit of trepidation.  Partly this is because I know with all of the walking I've done around the cobble-paved streets of Paris, I'm sure to need quite a bit of stretching.  I'm going to need to take baby steps back to the mat.  Alas, I've chosen to make my first practice in over a fortnight (love my Brit-speak?) with Eileen - the second source of my trepidation.

Eileen is not a warm and fuzzy yoga teacher.  She has loyal students, some of whom she seems to like and share a rapport with, but I'm not one of them.  I think she recognizes me by now, and for the most part knows that I'm a pretty serious yogi (opposed to the 16 year old skinny BFFs who sometimes take the class 'cause they heard yoga is Carly Rae Jepson's favorite way to escape from the stress of being a teenager - PS, Eileen has absolutely no patience for them), but she doesn't really engage in conversations with many of her students.  That said, she's absolutely professional and knows her stuff (chakras, sanskrit, modifications, OMs, ALL of it), and I think she's a skilled practitioner.

Every class of Eileen's has a focus that she shares with you (ie, "Today we'll be working on the heart chakra, doing a lot of heart-opening postures, and we're starting with this particular breath to stimulate...." etc), and the postures definitely stretch whatever it is that she says will be stretched.  I can't recall ever "sweating" in one of her classes, but on more than one occasion I have felt it the next day.  Wednesday was one of those "day afters"...and Wednesday morning is Josh's class, which often does make me sweat (usually filled with lots of Vinyasas and lots of chaturanga).  So, I was sore, and sweating, but breathing deep and oh so grateful to be "back"!  I went on to take Josh's Thursday class as well, which usually is a little more easy-going (long warm up and long cool down, with only a few Vinyasas).  I thought to myself: "Hey, if I had reversed the order of these classes, I might have enjoyed my return to the mat even more..."


Would I recommend taking a challenging class on your first day back?  It depends on your approach to yoga.  Do you feel the need to really kick your butt into gear, almost "punishing" yourself for staying away so long (mind you, this is not a particularly "yogic" mindset)?  Then, yes, go for it.  Do you think that your practice will be reinvigorated by a slow, steady approach that builds up to a challenging climax? Then, you'd probably want to start with something more low-key.  I wasn't punishing myself to take Eileen's class first; it was just the first class that I was able to fit into my schedule.  Nonetheless, the difference between the 2 teacher's styles was apparent, and made for a reflective return from my vacay-induced hiatus.  Plus, I need to gear up for Heidy's class this Sunday!


Make every breath count.