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The Ying and Yang of Yoga

Carrie Zovluck

I have been practicing yoga for about four years now. The reason its called practice, I believe, is because it feels just as difficult each time as the first time I ever tried it , so I just keep practicing! The old saying is “practice makes perfect,” but thankfully perfection is not the goal in yoga.

After these few years I think I am a little less creaky, a little less cranky, a little leaner and somewhat less judgemental and more



compassionate. Benefits to be sure. Yoga is challenging in lots of ways and not just physically. The challenge is merely just to do it. The excuses that we give ourselves are endless, aren’t they?.

When I first started I felt like a fat, frumpy, mean and grumpy person who was willing to try anything (short of anti-depressants and therapy) to change my life. I am happy to say that I found the kick start that I needed at Bikram Yoga with Amy. A vision of tall, blond loveliness Amy exuded an ethereal, calm but energetic glow. I was willing to try anything to be just a little bit like that. During my first class I seriously thought I was going to keel over and die. Sweat blinded me and dripped off of every body part (I never knew that my shins had sweat glands), my legs wobbled and shook as if they had no bones, and who thought you could get severely out of breath doing yoga! Anyway, despite that experience, or maybe because of it, I becamely intensely interested in this mysterious new world. The discovery

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of the unknown.

Keep in mind that yoga is not a religion or a cult but rather an exercise in moral and mental cultivation that generates health and well being. It is pertinent to people of all ages irrespective of creed, caste, sex and age. Of course not everyone agrees with this, including my Anglo-Indian father who thinks “it’s all a load of old rubbish”. Somehow I thought my Indian Dad would be into it. Oh well.

Here in the Vail Valley we have an abundance of classes available to us all and I urge anyone who has an interest but has never plucked up the courage to JUST DO IT. Don’t be intimidated, believe me no one is looking at you because everyone is busy trying to do as instructed. Just be sure to tellyour teacher if it is your first class and if you have any injuries. Maria L. teaches at 11.30 a.m. on Mondays at The Avon Rec Center and she is one of the best teachers I have come across because she is innovative, inspirational, creative and funny. For instance, a couple of weeks ago she started off class by handing us all a piece of dark chocolate. What? Chocolate at yoga! What is going on? We held onto it for a while, resisting the temptation to pop it into our mouths, which was a lesson in restraint in and of itself. We then slowly and luxuriously let it melt onto our tongues whilst pondering the bitter sweetness of the taste and comparing

that to the bitter sweetness of our lives. Aaaahh….what a wonderful way to start the week. This week Maria played us John Lennon’s sublime anthem to peace, “Imagine.”

Imagine there’s no countries

It isn’t hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

No religion too

‘ Imagine all the people

Living life in peace………

Every Monday I am shown another way to look at the world and know that all is well.

Have a good week and see you at yoga. Namas.


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