My Yoga Beginnings
I am confident many people have either heard of the practice of yoga and the concept of mindfulness or better yet, tried it out before. Both activities are quite common these days for people of all ages to partake in. For myself, I’ve been practicing yoga on and off for the last eight years but it was only in 2016 that I truly started to immerse myself into a committed weekly practice.
My real love for practicing yoga begun when I participated in my first hot class at a local yoga studio. I remember walking into the hot room and thinking “oh yeah, I got this!”. But after the first 10 minutes, I was really feeling the heat and exertion. It was the first time I actually saw beads of sweat trickle down my arms and legs! Don’t get me wrong, I definitely sweat when I exercise, but usually it’s during cardio, or high intensity interval training so I wasn’t expecting this. My sweat has never pooled around me, so to my surprise, I was like, “woah, what’s going on?”. On top of this, the class actually kicked my butt, so I knew the act of doing yoga itself was going to be a great work out to add to my cardio, weight lifting and strength training routine.
My Favourite Ottawa Studio
So there it was, I was now hooked and on the hunt for a yoga studio to go to. Albeit, at the time, I was still a student and I won’t kid myself when I say yoga studio memberships aren’t pricey. BUT – I know now that they are totally worth it. The environment, the yoga teachers, the staff – all make for the best overall experience.
My most recent and favourite yoga studio to be a part of is YogaTown*. As I was trying out new studios, I was inclined to go to YogaTown because they had a great 1-month unlimited membership and it was down the street from my old condo near Preston. After dedicating 3-4 days of practicing yoga at their studio, I was addicted. It didn’t take long for the front desk staff and teachers to know you by name, which to me, meant a lot. They always greet and welcome you into the studio with a warm smile and that type of friendliness is something that keeps you coming back (in addition to their awesome classes). If you are interested in joining a yoga studio, I highly suggest becoming a Townie and being a part of their supportive community. They have three Ottawa locations (Downtown Preston St., Stittsville Main and their new Barrhaven location on Highbury Park Dr.).
Benefits of Practicing Yoga and Mindfulness
Practicing yoga has not only allowed me to exercise my body, but it has helped me ground myself in my feelings. In a previous blog post, I described a lot of challenges I faced over the last year. It was through yoga that I was able to free my mind of these negative emotions and experiences, to help channel positivity into my life. While on the mat, my sole focus was breathing, executing the poses, and repeating my mantra of the day. During classes, I consciously practiced mindfulness – allowing myself to be aware of the present moment and giving myself the opportunity to accept all that I was feeling. It helped clear my mind, and reset my energy, mood and outlook on life.
Every time I practice yoga, my soul feels soothed, nourished and a sense of calm. One of the best descriptions I have is that there’s a feeling of inner peace that resonates throughout your entire body. For the sake of creativity and exploring my passion for writing these days, I wrote this poem below to express what yoga means to me.
Breathe deeply child, and look inward.
Life Oolong The Way
Seek calmness, find self-love,
Do you feel your soul speak?
The sensations, riveting from limb to limb.
Amongst the captivating silence,
Your inner-child is set free.
Let lightness fill every void,
Elevating your soul to the highest freedom.
Where zen exists, so does peace.
Invigorate your mind, inhale the serenity,
While the body relaxes in whole surrender.
There it is, you found it.
You searched your entire life, yet
Now you are here.
Embrace. Rejoice. Be grateful.
Thank you for taking the time to read. I hope you get a chance to step onto the mat today and enjoy all that yoga has to offer the mind, body and soul.
If you have any questions or inspiring stories about your yoga experiences, please do not hesitate to comment, DM me on social, or send me an e-mail at jenn@lifeoolongtheway.com. I would love to hear from you.
With love & gratitude,
*This blog is not affiliated or sponsored by YogaTown. These are my personal and true opinions.