Upon doctor's order, I've started doing yoga. This stuff is hard! Tarun has told me not to complain for two months. He promises it will get easier at that point.
This from a man who does not do yoga. Yet, I trust him because his blind faith prevents me from quitting.
My doctor was very specific with her instruction - 30 minutes of yoga sculpt three times a week. This form of yoga focuses on strengthening the upper body. Think of it as a cocktail of yoga, aerobics, and weights. Each is hard enough individually. Put together, the mix is diabolical.
I am learning the language of forward fold, child pose, warrior, chair, table top, down dog, plank, and mountain pose. After a month, I am no longer craning my neck to follow the visual cues and I am beginning to connect words to actions. Breathing correctly is a whole another nightmare. My lungs deflate when they should inflate and I find myself playing catch-up with limbs and lungs.
I keep telling myself I am building stamina and my spine is getting stronger while I curse the minds that came up with yoga.
Oh wait, the Indians came up with it. Dang, I can't curse my heritage, can I?!
Yoga is 5,000 years old and is first mentioned in the Rig Veda, which is the oldest of the Hindu sacred texts. Until the 2nd century, yoga was a compilation of contradictory practices. Then, Patanjali, a great sage, wrote the Yoga-Sûtras to endow yoga with rigor and structure. His influence lingers in modern day practices.
The word "yoga" comes from "yog" meaning union. Yogis believe that the path to enlightenment is through mind-body balance. For this reason, yoga is intertwined with spirituality. Cleansing the mind of negative thoughts and exhaling toxins from the body help us aim for a higher purpose.
That thought offsets the desire to quit every two minutes.
My doctor's insistence on yoga has to do with combatting bone loss. By strengthening the muscles in our core, yoga protects the spine. If the scaffolding is strong, you can buy yourself time to build back your bones.
The science is irrefutable. Plus, I don't see a scenario where the union of mind, body, and spirituality hurts. Simply taking the time to still the flight-or-fight instincts of daily life is enormously beneficial. That part makes sense.
Why it is so hard, doesn't make sense.
On to the next four weeks and if it doesn't get easier, I will certainly be having a come-to-Jesus moment with Tarun. Hell. Yeah.
(Image from https://www.everydayhealth.com/yoga/)