Thursdays are arguably my favorite days of the week. I spend my Thursdays interning at Gotham Writers Workshop and then I get to do one of my favorite activities – yoga. It's not just any yoga class, it’s taught by the director of one-on-one writing services at Gotham, who also happens to be my boss.
Little did I know that the Dean of Students at Gotham is a dedicated yogi. She is the instructor of her own hour-long yoga class every Thursday evening, which is located directly across from the office. So every Thursday at six pm you can find me darting across the street to join her class, which has several other members of the Gotham community in it.
The studio offers a large, quiet space where Dana sits at the front of the room and walks us through the “flow,” a sequence that includes downward dog, plank position, and cobra. This is the one sequence we consistently perform throughout class, emphasizing our breathing and using our core muscles before lowering ourselves fully to the ground.
My favorite part of the class is Shavasana at the end, where you lie on your back and fully relax your body for five minutes. While this probably resonates with most people, I find this even more refreshing considering I have a writing class that starts immediately after yoga ends.
Taking this yoga class before delving into my Creative Writing 101 class at Gotham has been undeniably helpful. I relax my body, rid my mind of anxiety or restless thoughts, and head into class to get fully in touch with my creative side, nothing standing in my way.
I am writing this article to advocate for yoga, which has always been a practice I love. However, for any aspiring writers out there, I would highly recommend taking a yoga class before writing. It clears your mind more than you would imagine.
Dana always has a great playlist, including songs from The XX and Shania Twain. She ends her class with a reminder to us all – that we should be thankful for our bodies, happy and healthy, and for being able to participate in a class like this one. We should be thankful for being alive and aware, and for having our breath as our guide through the day. In a world of turmoil, chaos, and craziness, yoga takes us away for just an hour, allowing us to appreciate our bodies and ourselves. I should like a dedicated yogi myself, but this class has made me more focused and relaxed when answering creative prompts. Considering all that is going on in the world right now, I would say taking a moment for yourself to relax is worth it.
