I'll have to admit, I was not looking forward to our in-class meditation. Having never meditated before, I thought it would be painfully boring and that I would not get anything out of it. My mind was definitely changed! I really enjoyed the meditation because it gave me a brief 20 minutes free from the constant worries, stresses, and thoughts that are always flooding my mind. I did not realize how those stresses can have a negative effect on me mentally until they stopped for a little while. The feeling is hard to put words to, but it felt like I was mentally refreshed; like my mind was a clean slate to start over with. The closest thing I can compare the experience to is a runner's high, which I have experienced several times before. I never realized how focusing so intently can feel like you're not thinking at all. Now that I have a better understanding of how meditation works and why it can be useful, I can see why meditation is often incorporated into yoga classes. However, based on personal experience, it is much easier to meditate without incorporating postures of yoga. Focusing on moving your body in the correct way while trying to focus on nothing except for your senses can be difficult. I find this especially true for difficult postures that put stress on the body. I plan on using this meditation class to incorporate meditation into my yoga, as well as to alleviate feelings of stress.
If I had to sum up our in-class Ashtanga practice in one word, I would say challenging. The fact that it was challenging made it an enjoyable class, because I like exercise that challenges me and forces me to work hard. The most difficult aspect of the class was getting into some of the poses because they required so much flexibility, and I am only moderately flexible. The class stretched my entire body, especially my legs, which made me feel good afterwards. One aspect of the class that made a community atmosphere was how the entire class was arranged in a circle, with all of us facing towards each other. This brought a sense of togetherness to the class because everyone was facing each other instead of being in rows towards the front of the room. Another aspect of the class that made it feel like a community was how the class would look at each other for help for some of the moves. Because of this, we weren't doing yoga individually, but rather looking to our neighbors to see how...
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