Discovering Yoga

About a year ago, I became really interested in yoga and in discovering a sense of flexibility and strength that I had never really delved into before. I lost touch with yoga and Pilates after I quit figure skating a few years back, and after becoming a regular gym-goer, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I started losing some of my flexibility if I didn’t commit to frequent and proper stretching. I developed an urge to teach my body to do challenging yoga poses but after a couple of stretching mishaps, I realized I had to go back to square one and learn correct technique and yoga progressions from a professional.

For a few months, I put yoga aside until this August when I started my new-grad job and discovered that I had a yoga studio at the base of my office building downtown. This was my chance to finally try my first class in years! The studio is called LIV Yoga + Wellness and they offer a $59 special for new clients that provides you with a whole month of unlimited classes. It seemed to me like there wasn’t much to debate on, so I purchased my pass and started going to weekly (or more) yoga classes.

Since I started, I learned that there are in fact different styles of yoga practice that fit different needs. There’s hatha, yin, flow, and a variety of muscle group-focused practices as well. Unfortunately, I haven’t been to enough to name my favourites, but I do prefer classes that don’t intertwine too much with spirituality. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that yoga and similar exercises are beneficial for both physical and mental health, but I don’t feel completely comfortable with opening myself up to a spiritual connection that significantly differs from my own faith. And what’s the point in going if you’re not 100% emotionally comfortable, right?

I still love being able to discover new ways to build my stability muscles and my flexibility back. I also love the welcoming vibes and the amazing teachers and staff at LIV; their passion and their care for us students is undeniable. But maybe yoga isn’t for me after all and it was simply a path for me to discover my true passion. That I will leave to God to decide.

I can’t wait to share with you guys when I’ve finally found my niche!

Featured Photo Credit: Jason Meng Visuals.