Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Fat Chick Yoga


I started taking a yoga class a few weeks back in an effort to improve my flexibility, or so I thought. I've always been freakishly flexible and when that started to disappear, I thought I should try yoga to get it back. What I didn't realize was that all these years while I was losing flexibility, I was losing even more in strength. I discovered this with the first and all the following yoga classes.

I was able to get into just about every pose, two still elude me, one because of belly fat and the other because I just can't seem to lie on my belly, grab my feet from behind and rock like a boat. Oh, I can get the position and rock like a boat, I just can't reach my feet from behind while doing it.

Anyway, back to the strength. So I'm in my first yoga class and we're going into fairly simple positions, then holding that position, and holding it, and holding it, and now my muscles are starting to tremble, and holding it, and my arms are shaking like I'm about to collapse, and holding it, and I think, "holy crap, I can't hold myself up any longer," and holding it and "remember to breathe," and holding it, and holding it, and I'm now sweating like a pig, and holding it, and about to erupt in hysterical laughter because my whole body is shimmying and shaking like an old jalopy out of alignment on a washboard road, and holding it, and holding it, and "now relax and transition from downward dog to the table position." I crash to the floor in laughter and embarrassment. OMG!! Luckily there were other older and overweight people there and they fell before me. Who knew yoga could be this hard?

Well, I've continued to go back. I'm getting better at holding the poses. She's now introduced that ostrich pose where you stand on one leg with the other leg jacked up against the first one. I distinctly remember my sister, D doing that pose while she did dishes, and I remember being able to do this when I was younger, but that pose now eludes me as well. I keep trying and I keep going "timber" on the way over. Getting older and out of shape is a humbling experience. Oh, and for those who were curious, fat chicks do not bounce when they fall.

9 comments:

VV said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
tweetey30 said...

I remember watching Kora in the after school program while they were doing some of the poses.. Yikes... I am not so sure I could do them either..

Larena said...

OMGoodness, I will never get into yoga now ! You go Girl !!

Anonymous said...

That made me laugh out loud in the office--very funny!

M

Anonymous said...

That is too funny, good luck at all of that, now as am older, have found it to be more benifical to have learned to tuck and roll. forget about timber on the way down, keep thinking tuck and roll, tuck and roll. :)
p

maeve said...

very funny K!!!! I had to laugh because I too use to be so flexiable and now I have issues getting outta one of those dam "chair in a bag"!! LOL .... great post!!

tshsmom said...

LMAO! I GOTTA get back into my WiiFit yoga! Yoga is great for toning muscles in a low-stress way. The Wii board senses when I start getting shaky and makes me start all over again.

I also forget to breathe. When I start getting shaky, I find myself holding my breath as I concentrate on holding the pose.

Pat's right. Tuck and roll saved me from further injury when I sprained my ankle this summer. I probably would have broken my arm when my ankle gave way if I didn't tuck and roll.

Anonymous said...

K, I did break my arm, when twisted my ankle, a few years ago, walking up steps. So speaking from experience so they say ha..:) have VV send me your e-mail once again when you get a chance. p

tshsmom said...

P, will do! I got your phone # from VV and I WILL call you one of these days.

CK, here’s the tattoo

  From sketch to transfer to tattoo