A few years ago I saw this and kept a copy:

I wondered if was actually about me, which probably demonstrates how accurately it describes me.

Anyway, a few posts back I said I was going to try to join a weekly yoga class.  I thought the yoga might help de-stress me a little and help with the Anxiety Girl business.  Yesterday I had my first lesson.

I have to say, getting ready for the class was stressful in itself – I had to buy new tracksuit bottoms (the ones I had are not suitable to be seen outside the four walls of Pog Towers, they are so old).  First I accidentally bought a ‘short pair’.  These are now shorts and the cut off parts are being turned into a bag.  I then bought a ‘long’ pair and had to make turn-ups so I could walk without the risk if getting tangled in the trailing legs.  Then it was the dilemma last night over sports bra (good for cycling over potholes without giving yourself a black eye but not great for breathing) or normal bra (not a whole heap of support, but breathing not so much of an issue)?  Then, water bottle or no water bottle?  Does yoga make you thirsty?  Would I look daft wandering in with my bottle if nobody else did?  Make up:  It’s not a full on exercise class so it’s unlikely to be sweated off but would it look silly to wear it?  Would not wearing it scare other class members too much?  By this stage I needed more than a yoga class to get over the panic that was starting to develop so I just got my act together and left.  (If you’re interested, I selected normal bra, water bottle and with minimal makeup.  It turns out that all were good options)

I’ve done around 20 minutes of yoga before –I mentioned it a few weeks back on here.  I wasn’t good.  I wasn’t even ok.  I was working on the basis though, that I really could only get better.  So it was a huge surprise to me to discover that the time flew by and I loved every minute of focusing on the positions and my breathing (rather than whether that e-mail I was waiting for had come in and how the hell I was going to get through my to do list at work).

I did have a few issues.  Every time the teacher reminded us to ‘inhale then move as you exhale’ I was reminded that I had stopped breathing in my attempt to be in the correct position.  I was wobbly at all times, forgot my left and right (nice lady next to me had to remind me it was ‘the other left’), and I actually managed to fall over while kneeling (how is that even possible?!).

The best bit though? (Apart from the fact that I felt more relaxed last night than I have in a long time.) That was at the end when the teacher said I was a bit of a natural when it comes to yoga. Yes, me!  I’ve never been a natural at anything.  I have a feeling that she may take it back when balancing comes into the class (happily there was none of that last night), but for now and until the then, I will be ‘Pog, a bit of a natural when it comes to yoga’. Bet you never expected that, did you? :o)

I know I used a bluebell picture the other day, but I took so many and am not sure which is favourite. Probably this one. I think.