The Nurturing Well by: Jill Starbuck
For many people, yoga is an intimidating practice for a variety of reasons. Some people believe they are too inflexible to try yoga. Others believe that yoga simply involves weird stretching techniques. Others feel that yoga is too slow-paced to be real exercise. But perhaps for many, the mere language and poses in yoga present the most intimidating aspects.
Who can blame them? Trying to transform into various animals can be intimidating to the most daring person. Poses include downward & upward dog, cat, dolphin, crane, frog, cobra, cow, and camel, to name a few. And as if animal transformations weren’t difficult enough, instructors expect you to mimic a child, a tree, a mountain, a warrior, a bridge, and even a corpse! They also do moon poses. You get mooned in yoga!
On top of intimidating poses, yoga instructors use foreign terms that lead to confusion for a new yogi. Yogi?! A few of the terms include the following:
• Namaste (nom*uh*stay) You hear: “No more iced tea.” Great. Now I’m thirsty for iced tea.
• Ashtanga (ash*tong*uh) You hear: “I stung ya.” What? Who stung whom?!
• Asana (ahs*ah*nah) You hear: “A sauna.” I know it’s hot in here, but this is nothing like a sauna!
• Chatauranga (chaht*tour*ang*ah) You hear: “Chat around ya.” Huh? Nobody’s talking. All I hear is breathing.
• Pranayama (pruh*non*uh*muh) You hear: “Pray no more.” Are you crazy? You put me in this pose and expect me not to pray?!
With all joking aside, yoga actually has a host of valuable traits. It can be a great form of exercise, meditation, or spiritual wellbeing. It builds strength, increases flexibility, reduces stress, develops better breathing control, lowers blood pressure, and improves posture. In my personal experience with yoga, I’ve enjoyed better sleep patterns, fewer body aches, and a sense of peace after a good yoga session. Everyone should give it a fair trial to enjoy these benefits.
You never know. You may enjoy transforming into a dolphin, a cat, or a mountain. Personally, I like to make like a tree, a triangle, or a child. And I make sure I’m not thirsty for tea when I go. Namaste! (A polite gesture consisting of a bow that suggests peace and goodwill.)
Jill Starbuck has 20 years of experience as a business writer, editor, and market research analyst. She is a certified health coach through the Integrative Institute of Nutrition and a certified running coach through the Road Runners Club of America. She is also the co-owner of a running business. She can be reached at jillstarbuck@hotmail.com.
