My Yoga Experience

Rebecca Zilis
Alpha Gamma Delta

Last week marked my first real experience with meditation, which, after an hour and a half, left me with mixed feelings on the subject of yoga. One of my sisters had convinced me to attend a class with her, so I donned a pair of leggings and grabbed my water bottle and a borrowed yoga mat.

Something you must know is that I'm a rare attendee at the ARC and CRCE. Somehow my regret for avoiding our all-accommodating gyms never wins over the comfort of my bed and the blare of the TV. This is not to mention the fact that “Cardio Camp” and “Kick n' Core” are much more my style than a class called “Relaxation and Meditation.”

Nonetheless, I took a break from the "American's Next Top Model" marathon and trekked an entire block over to CRCE. Being a yoga rookie, I expected to be thoroughly embarrassed. My long arms and muscular legs are built for kicking a soccer ball, not elaborate poses involving back-bending and leg-twisting.

We walked into the multipurpose room and after removing our shoes, found a spot to lay our pastel colored mats. In my mind, any activity that can be done with shoes off, should be, so I was definitely cool with the sock aspect of class. In walked our gray-haired instructor who proceeded to greet us by turning on the kind of music that reminds you of a blooming, sunlit meadow.

I struggled in deciding which direction to orient my body as the instructor chose a spot in the middle of the room. It turned out it wouldn't matter, as class began with silent meditation with our eyes closed. It was incredibly difficult to keep my mind off of my ever-growing to-do list and the not-so-flattering pictures I took last Saturday night. The room next to us shook with upbeat music, making me wish I'd tried a Zumba class instead.

This is where my hesitance to joining the realm of yoga begins. The silent mediation and calming techniques just don't do it for me. In order to feel like I've exercised, I need my heart to be pumping, face flushed and body dripping sweat. Don't get me wrong. I like the idea of being relaxed, but that's something I'd rather find with a four hour, midday nap.

After 15 minutes, the instructor began showing us simple stretches. I was happy to find that my balance level matched most of those around me, minus a few lanky girls who looked like they could probably touch their noses to their feet. I accepted the slow-moving pace and each new pose brought a new muscle's comfort.

I found out my favorite poses were the ones that involved strength and balance. After learning a version of the sun salutation and a few warrior poses, I started realizing that with yoga comes sweat, and a lot of it. Who knew? Occasionally a pose would cause my muscles to ache and I'd have to return both feet back to the ground in order to keep myself from toppling over.

It took me about a half hour to decide that I enjoyed yoga and would like to try it more than once. I can definitely deal with a little more focus in my life. Though I enjoyed posing, the last 15 minutes of class got a little weird for me.

Just when I was starting to enjoy myself, we were instructed to lay on our backs with our eyes closed. The lights dimmed, and blankets were handed out. Class finished with a silent time for focused thoughts and slow breathing. After what seemed like another hour, the lights flicked on and we were free to go.

Though I enjoyed much of the class, I think for me yoga might serve only as a supplement to a more rigorous workout routine. Today was definitely time not wasted, as I try to constantly encourage myself to try new things.

Rebecca is a senior studying advertising and communication. You may contact her at zilis1@illinois.edu.