Tammy,
I’ve been practicing yoga for a little over a year and I somehow comprehend a few things about it. But what does the person who has never been to a class think of yoga?
Recently I saw an older woman in a yoga class who must have heard that yoga is relaxing and calming. Why do I say that? Well, she came to class in a pair of long, black, cotton pants. She had on one of those white/opaque, long sleeve blouses covering a white bra/camisole thing. To her, relaxing seemed to mean hanging out on a comfy couch with a glass of wine, maybe talking to a suitor. Yes, she was able to participate in the class, and despite the limiting clothing, she was fairly flexible.
I know one of my friends (a guy) thinks yoga’s a bunch of leotarded women doing a mild form of ballet while listening to new age music. Let’s not forget the incense and the teachings of veganism and togetherism. I know he’s afraid to be in the same locker room with me.
Another friend asks if yoga is therapy. He wonders why I talk about focusing on what’s in front of me and why I talk about being in the moment. He asks, “Why don’t you pay attention to anything anybody else does?” I tell him that in yoga you don’t compare yourself to other people; I bring that practice straight to real life. That’s a good thing, right?
Gary Kahn
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