Yoga for dummies

In January, I joined the local gym, both for fitness and social reasons. I was hoping to meet other singles in the area, but I've learned that everyone pretty much keeps to themselves. Still, I'm proud to report that I have continued to use the gym 3-5 times a week, despite the lack of reinforcement from the scale.

A friend suggested I try their classes, since it's more likely that you can strike up a conversation with someone you see regularly at a particular class. I've avoided the classes, partially because I don't want to feel stressed to get to the gym at a particular time and partially because I'm not the most coordinated person. It's disheartening to finally get the aerobics step just to realize you're the only one moving forward while the rest of the class is going backwards.

But, I decided to try a yoga class on Saturday. I dusted off my yoga mat, which hasn't seen any action in about two years, and headed over to the gym. I sat beside a guy who was also waiting for the previous class to finish and soon realized he was the yoga instructor. We waited several minutes, but no one else showed up. "I guess it's just you and me!" he exclaimed. (Uh oh, I thought.) "Instead of the class, would you like a personal instruction?" What could I say except Ok?

Carlos is a yoga purist. He believes in doing the poses correctly or not at all. I've come to realize I have muscles that I never tested before because I feel them quite acutely now. Although all the poses he put me through were ones I was familiar with, Carlos showed me the proper way to do each. Even my feet and hands got a workout!