Getting Hold Of Yoga

Cargo pants, a cell phone and a bike. That's the new age yoga teacher, and mine too. A few years ago, I had gone to enrol myself at the only yoga school somewhere in the vicinity and the teacher who met me then at the government school where the classes were conducted, was a typical, dhoti clad, long haired guru mouthing everything in a language (perhaps Sanskrit) I half understood. He was so miffed at my turning up late that he yelled at me. I never returned to his classes. You see, I am not a morning person, and as my sister would say, every mother-in-law's nightmare too! Anyway, the fact is, I am glad I fhave found a flexi yoga teacher who has spared me all the morning rigours.

I am into my third week of yoga and I feel my joints are getting well oiled. I run twice a week but looks like these weren't enough. All these stretching exercises and yoga asanas make me realise how unfit I was. It's too early to tell the benefits but it helps. Not an exaggeration this. One morning I got up with a bad back and it was gone by the time I finished yoga that day. Yoga is one never ending series of exercises, but I am focussing on a few areas. And breathing is important too. By the way, I think I can also croon now because it's not funny how my lungs, nose and throat are all getting their dose of exercise.

My yoga teacher is my best find in recent times. He is quite funny. A 20-something lad, who grew up in Rishikesh, one of the best yoga centres in India and the world, he knows his stuff. Just that our sessions are interrupted by too many querries from my end. He is so fed up (am sure), which is why he has promised to get me a book so I understand what I am doing more well. And he keeps egging me on with "one more didi, one more time..." Best was when after 10 push-ups I wore an expression which prompted a comment from him, "Yoga is for your happiness." The sentence in that typical UPite accent made me burst out in laughter.

My sister and my friend tried out the session but after the first day, they said "screw it." It was too tiresome for them. Looking good! OK that's my biggest challenge now. It isn't the worst thing, really!