Yoga Against My Will

I’m on a yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico this week. If things are going right, I’m either meditating, bare foot running, or sipping a piña colada right now. Until then, enjoy this post and take good care of yourself.

If someone had told me a year ago that now I’d be looking forward to a week on the beach with a bunch of yoga people, I would have said they were insane.

No. That’s not right.

I would have said they were f*cking insane.

Which just goes to show you what I know. You should never listen to me.

Anyway, you can read all of my blog posts about my yoga and meditation experiences at this link, but they’re in reverse order with the most recent at the top — timely, but useless if you want to begin at the beginning. I thought it might be fun for you to re-visit them, in the correct chronological order, to see how I got from there to here. Maybe, just maybe, if you’re thinking you’re too punk rock for yoga (which I totally did), or that it’s too groovy (which I totally did), or that it’s not physically demanding enough (which I totally did), maybe some of my experiences will change you mind.

To you all, I say, Satnam.

Downward What Now?! — May 12, 2011
My first yoga class ever. This post highlights five things I (surprisingly) really liked about the class. I intended to make yoga a new habit. But after that first class, I went one more time and stopped until 6 months later…

A Healing Experiment — November 11, 2011
The start of yet another version of me: the (hopefully) less stressed, still badass but more centered, yoga-running-lifting, superhero me. I decided to try yoga again, and my attitude was pretty sucky. The only yoga class that fit into my work scheduled was kundalini, and I went with worse than zero expectations. I had negative 1000 expectations. But then I realized how wonderful it felt to lie on the floor and breathe. It was such a relief to be still. Quiet. Focused on healing. I accidentally went to the least punk rock type of yoga there is — and fell totally in love with how freaking crazy-beautiful-strange-effective it is. So I embraced meditation, too…

It’s Gold and Pink and I Got a Feather — November 16, 2011
They say that our minds can help heal our bodies with meditation, and I am testing that theory with a full and open heart. If you’re at all curious about starting meditation, this post includes some tips and resources for easier ways to give it a go.

The Gong Show  — November 18, 2011
At this point, I was a full-blown kundalini junkie. I imprinted on my teacher Robin like a baby duck, and I decided that twice a week, I was going to get my groovy on — even if I was also mentally teasing about it along the way. Best quote from this post: WHAT THE F*CK, YOU GUYS?! I’m getting soft.

Let Yourself Be — December 15, 2011
After a 15-minute meditation, our instructor Robin said to let ourselves be. And then I waited for the rest of the sentence. Be what?! The answer, naturally, was just to be. “My dad gives excellent advice. The words I’ve heard from him most often: It’s good to be alive. Just enjoy yourself, honey.” and at kundalini, it’s satnam. I am. Just be.

My New Vocabulary — January 18, 2012
I’ve learned a lot of yoga lingo and etiquette in the last few months, and I’ve learned a lot about myself… much of which is explained in this post. But to me, this will always be the “flaming shoulder” post. Read it to see why.

Wonder and Camels — January 25, 2012
In which I draw parallels between yoga, comedian Louis C.K., Jane Eyre, and camels. It makes sense if you read it. Kinda.

Ohm Ma Goodness — March 30, 2012
The post in which I confess I thought of both Krispy Kreme and the Stay Puft Marshmallow man during meditation. There’s a reason it’s called a yoga or meditation practice. I will never be perfect at it — and that makes me perfect.