This is a series that I started over at my other blog, so I'll just link to that first post here. I've been working through the book, You Can Do It!: The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls by Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas. All of the other entries from the book that I have blogged about previous, which can be found linked on the original post, are one's that I have accomplished through childhood and into my teens and twenties. I counted them only if I met the requirements as outlined within the book. They were things that I had already done, and did not wish to do again to earn the badge as an adult. Things like dancing, acting, or even horseback riding (which I've yet to blog about). As I'd already done some of the things and had absolutely no interest in re-doing them, it was a hang-up for me with this book, so to speak. I'd pick it up, want to find something new to pursue, and put it down again, because of all the things I'd already accomplished and didn't wish to do again. I decided to let all of that go. I figured that if I met the requirements, I'd count them, no matter what age I'd accomplished said badge, and it was really freeing. It's letting me enjoy this book and finally choose a badge to earn. That badge was Yoga. Stretch Yourself *Yoga* The requirements to earn this badge were to figure out which type of yoga class you wish to take, try some yoga, commit to one class for 8 weeks, reach a new level with yoga. I already had the first two requirements, go to four or five different yoga classes, under my belt by this point, so that was handy. The Sister works at Greenhouse Yoga. She started by attending classes, then being asked if she would clean and check in people in exchange for free yoga classes, which she accepted. Then she started teaching workshops on Crystals, Chakra's, and Reiki, as well as by-weekly Aromatherapy classes. She started subbing classes for people and now has two yoga classes of her own. Yoga teachers here can have someone they know take their class/classes for free, if they so wish. So, while I always attend The Sisters' Aromatherapy classes I am also allowed to come to her workshops for free or her yoga classes. On my own, I have had a yoga teacher say that I could come to her classes whenever I wanted, but I only went to the one and found it quite trying. Another teacher and co-owner of the business liked the photos that I would take for The Sisters classes, so asked if I'd be willing to take photos of her during classes and in exchange I could come to her yoga classes, so I did. I went to every one that she taught, once, except neonatal. The book lists various types of yoga, none of which I or The Sister has heard of, and honestly, though I've taken some classes and did my eight weeks to get this badge, I still do not understand yoga. The Sister was trying to explain it to me for this blog post, but there's just not enough information. Like Hatha and Vinyasa are generalized terms for all sorts of yoga... except no one will tell me which one's exactly, so I have no idea if the things I've done would be categorized into one of these or not. So, I'll just write what I know. Greenhouse offers Hatha and Vinyasa (as well as Barkan, which is a hot yoga; Power Yoga, and they used to offer Budokon, which is like martial arts with yoga, but I was not offered free classes in these three, nor are they anything I'm interested in, so we'll skip talking about them).
So, that's quite a lot, ahn? I think I've mastered requirements one and two. I've gone to a lot and figured out what I like and what I definitely do not like. I like Restorative, slow Hatha (Healthy Aging), Tsa Lung, Pranayama, Yin Yoga, and Tibetan Heart Yoga, with most of the things I liked being random learnings in The Sisters' Free Flow Yoga classes (anything goes and she means it), or else learning it as a supplement in her Aromatherapy classes (as she doesn't always incorporate yoga into these classes). The only other class she had was Yin Yoga and it's the one that I decided to dedicated 8 weeks to. I never get photos of myself doing yoga during my eight weeks, because, well... I can't take photos of myself and I can't have The Sister do it and disrupt her teaching. The Sister subbed Yoga for Healthy Aging this past Monday, I attended, and afterwards, she put me into some Yin poses and took photos. I wouldn't include as many as I'm going to, but she brought the real camera and really wanted to make me "look good", so OK. I was just thinking one or two poses snapped off with my mobile, but I'll let it slide. Corpse pose, in this way, is actually my least favourite as somehow my butt is so big that laying on the floor in this way pinches my lower back. I've tried explaining it to her and she's tried to see what I'm talking about, but she can't figure out why and I can't explain further to her. There are variations, but I wasn't really allowed to use them in Yin like we can in Aromatherapy, but I like the variations better. One is Reversed Corpse, so I'd be on my stomach (which is comfortable to me on a hard floor, but never in my own bed as I won't sleep that way) or a more elevated position to my back. The first photos were of Seal Pose (Cobra in Hatha). I did Sphinx, but she said it didn't look good and she wanted me to look good if I was showing this to the world. She's so funny. While requirement three is find a teacher you feel good about, sign up for eight weeks of classes and go at least twice a week, that last part is impossible. Yin is only offered every Monday, so I said it'd do and am counting it. I went from the 11th of September to the 6th of November, which is a little more than eight weeks, but I skipped the class that was on my birthday and I skipped another time because my wrist was feeling wonky and that is no bueno when you're doing poses where you need your wrists to work. While I did like Yin Yoga it was slightly too advanced for me in ways. I'm basically still a beginner in what I can do/what my body is able to do, because let's face it, that's a rather large girl in those photos up there. It's not that larger girls can't do yoga, but the only way I'm really active is when I swim my little heart out during the summer months, or when parking farther away in the car park or booking it through stores (I don't really mosey), also we have stairs in our house.
But, I don't go out walking every day around my neighbourhood or on the track and I don't work out. There are also simply obstacles that larger girls have to deal with that their svelter counterparts do not. Like large bellies. There's only so far I can squish that belly into the front of my thighs before my body stops. Some things aren't even a matter of this or that isn't stretched out enough, it's more of a this has no where else to go sort of deal. But there are stretching issues as well, I won't deny that one bit. Like I had no idea that my toes were so tight until I started doing yoga. They are no pliable at all, so that's a stretching issue. I also can not not stretch my arms back behind my back very far and it's less to do with fat stopping it than it is that I'm not stretched out enough for that. I can get into pigeon pose just fine and stay there awhile, because I'm used to bending my knees underneath me. But if you want me to sit on my butt in with my legs stretched out in front of me and then want me to take one fat thigh and put it over the other one so that foot touches the ground on the other side, well that's not a stretching issue, but a no more maneuverability room issue, and it's totally going to look all wrong and wonky and it won't be able to hold that for very long and then just get back into the straight legged sitting position. So, what changed with Yin Yoga? Not much really. There were things I didn't think I could do, but could. Things that I thought I could probably do and certainly couldn't, not even after eight weeks. And it's not pretty, but should be said, that all of the squishing to my belly would end up working my intestines, I'd become gassy and then couldn't do poses for a knowing fear that I'd pass wind in class. I know it happens, people say it does, and I'm not even saying it wasn't doing my guts some good, but you don't really want to be squishing your guts that much (compared to thinner people) and then be in some position like happy baby where your legs are in the air spread out and Oh-ho! massive gas attack and from the fat girl no less. And you could tell these weren't going to be silent or tiny. So, sometimes I couldn't even do all of the poses in a class just because I would have knocked people out, or else I would have been completely embarrassed. But I don't regret anything. I did all eight weeks, I pushed myself to hold poses and properly even if it was tiring (though not if it was painful as you're not supposed to do that). I really put the effort in on getting in and out of poses like you're supposed to and concentrate on my breathing. Though, still, I'm not a huge fan of yoga. I think I'd rather be swimming or learning archery.
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AuthorA girl from South Mississippi who finds herself in exploration. Archives
November 2019
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