Discovering Yoga

 Since selling my studio back in October 2015, I felt at a loss in my world when it came to fitness.  I didn't have a pole or aerial setup in my new living situation because when I bought my house I had always thought I would have my studio.  Note- when buying a house, ALWAYS take into consideration a space for the pole.  It's been a slow process but I finally have a space to resume my pole and aerial activities.  Before I situated my current living situation and the home aerial gym issue, I had to rely on alternative fitness activities.  This is when I really discovered Yoga.  Yes, I used to teach a Yoga based flexibility class.  I have even taken a Yoga instructor training.  Even though I had all this knowledge and experience with some of the basic postures, I've never taken the time to develop my own practice in true yogi fashion. 

I started with taking classes twice a week at the local YMCA.  We recently had a new YMCA open a block from where I live.  I started out taking the classes every Monday and Thursday evening.  Our city has multiple downtown YMCA locations so for awhile I bounced around the different facilities to test out all the Yoga classes.  The classes were geared towards all level students so it helped me really hone in on the specifics of poses.  I wanted to make sure I was learning the poses properly and engaging my body to get the most out of my practice.  This is where I started to discover moves that I needed to work more on based on what my body was telling me.  I've always been able to listen to my body when it comes to pole dancing.  This concept is something I'd always taught my students.  Now that I was a student myself, it was something I had to practice even more as I learned this new form of exercise that challenged me to take on a new perspective. I developed a list of poses that I would work on as my goals to improve.  Some of the poses really surprised me.  Yoga has been a practice that has exercised my patience and discipline.  I've seen progress in the past few months since I began regularly attending classes.  I've acquired skills that I had been working towards for years with pole in just a few short months of consistency.  My husband just recently started to join me in taking classes. 

Overall, taking Yoga classes has been a beneficial experience for both my mind and body.  I'm focusing on areas of my body that need attention to create balance while exploring my own capabilities.  It's been fun to return to becoming a student again where I can come and go without the pressures of maintaining a business.  I look forward to sharing my progress in my Yoga practice with all my readers.  If you get the opportunity to take a class, I highly recommend it as a supplemental workout for both pole and aerial training.