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Yoga Journal 1/30/18

I attended yoga today at the same place as last week, the lodge at Stockton. The class consisted mostly of simple Yin yoga poses, making it very similar to last week's class. I focused more on maintaining awareness of my breath than perfecting the poses, because many of the postures involved little effort. My mind wandered throughout the class and made it difficult to continue focusing on my breath. The practice space, the lodge, definitely contributed to this because it is not what I would consider an ideal space to practice yoga. The large room has a hard, cold tile floor that also appears dirty, making me afraid to let any part of myself touch it. While irritating, this is a minor issue compared to the music, yelling, and arguing echoing from the adjacent kitchen. At times, I couldn't here what my instructor was saying because of the music. This also made it difficult to relax and to keep my mind from wandering. Throughout the class, I had to constantly remind myself to ignore the noise. Despite its drawbacks, I do find one aspect of the lodge favorable for practice: the lighting. Bright enough to see my surroundings, but dim enough to provide a sense of calmness. The dim lighting helps slightly to counter the effects of the noisy kitchen staff, making it a little easier to relax. Another positive aspect is the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that allow for the peaceful view of woods and the lake. I consider the lodge a decent place to practice yoga, but it definitely has its drawbacks.

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