As a nervous, squirrely type of person people have been telling me for years to try yoga. It will help you relax they said. The mind and body connection is like a natural high, you’ll get addicted to it, I was told.
I have always exercised, walked, rode my bike, took aerobics classes and I confess that when alone in the house I dance up a storm. Yoga was going to be different but I thought it only fair to give it a shot. After I put it off for as long as I could I finally went to a class one weekday morning. The room was nice and quiet and pleasantly cool. Soft new age music in the background set a relaxing tone and I was ready.
During the first ten minutes or so I assumed the instructor was warming us up for other more energetic movements. Was I wrong. I soon learned that being bent at the waist with my palms on the floor while breathing deeply was not the warm up, it was the yoga. I looked around and wondered if the rest of the class felt like they were having a series of mini-strokes as I was while waiting to change positions, but to my surprise they all looked blissfully relaxed.
I had no idea how I’d make it to the end of the class and I tapped my foot impatiently in my mind as I watched the clock. One more deep breath and I was sure I’d hit the mat face first.
I later reported to friends that apparently yoga isn’t for everyone. Especially not squirrels.