Yes to Yoga:
A Guide for
the Yoga-Shy
You’re out of shape and you’ve decided to do something about it. But you’re not exactly sure what that something is. Getting physically fit can be intimidating. Lifting weights at the gym can be too competitive. All those muscled bodies in their hip and trendy gear shooting looks and giving attitude that could cut glass make you feel inadequate as soon as you’ve walked through the door. There’s always jogging or cycling, but then the whole town gets to see you huffing and puffing in a very public display of just how out of shape you are. And those do-it-yourself, exercise-at-home DVDs are just plain lame.
Then there is yoga. It’s been around for centuries and is continuing to spread throughout the world from its origins in India to elementary school physical fitness classes in the Midwest and senior citizen rest homes in Texas.
“It’s all about feeling at ease and at the same time challenging yourself,” says Jerry Anathan, founder of Yoga East at 43 Race Point Road, across Route 6. “It’s a form of physical fitness, but it encompasses so much more.”
For the true novice, yoga might provoke a little anxiety. It seems that everyone has done it but you. Celebrity magazines write about it like it is a fad “discovered” by Madonna or Sting. Or maybe you encountered a total phony that went on and on about this new type of yoga they just invented themselves where you tie yourself like a pretzel, naked in a really hot room for three hours. The truth is yoga is about the most egalitarian form of health and well being, and you needn’t compare your progress to any, but yourself.
“When people start to trademark yoga, it becomes something else,” says Anathan, who has been practicing yoga since 1990. “It’s not really yoga.”
So what exactly is it? It has its roots as a traditional physical and mental discipline. Yoga has associations with the meditative practices of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, but you needn’t practice those religions. Yoga is a Sanskrit word and translations include “joining,” “uniting,” “union,” “conjunction,” and “means.”
While in Eastern culture yoga may be better known for its spiritual aspects, in Western culture some associate it with its wide range of postures or positions. Those postures are meant to restore health and vitality, as well as to provide both spiritual and physical balance in life.
“It’s helped me to not be so affected by the things I can’t control,” says Anathan, who has studied yoga in Costa Rica, Thailand, and most recently was certified as an instructor at the Kripalu Center in Stockbridge, Mass.
Anathan stands up in the middle of Far Land Provisions while discussing yoga and says, “Try to knock me over. Go ahead. Push me.” A shove to the front, from the right, and a harder one to the left and she is still standing. She barely moves in fact.
Practicing yoga is just as much about exploring your mind and the challenges you face in daily life. It’s an introspective form of physical fitness. The yoga class gets you physically balanced and then you take that into your daily life, says Anathan.
Western medicine can be slow to embrace, or even consider, so-called alternative forms of medicine or treatment. However, several studies by Western universities around the world show that yoga can improve flexibility and stamina, promote a better functioning respiratory system, control blood pressure and other circulatory system functions, reduce stress, improve sex life, improve concentration, and help lose weight. It can also improve your outlook on life and increase happiness, studies show.
So now you’re convinced. You want to try it. But a new venture always feels like the first day of school. Am I going to have the right clothes? What if I make a fool of myself? Do I need to buy all kinds of fancy stuff? All a newbie to yoga needs to do is show up in loose fitting, comfortable clothing—like sweatpants and a t-shirt. Mats are available to use, as well as purchase. Yoga is easiest when barefoot, so no socks. People with long hair might want to tie it back. Most of all, come with an open mind and do not worry about your level of fitness. Concentrate on your own body and on yourself, says Anathan.
And be prepared for a great, surprising journey. “Yoga is like that older sister, parent, or teacher that knows more about you than you know about yourself,” says Anathan.
But how do you know if you’re making progress? In our fast paced world, results are expected immediately. That’s not how things work. Benchmarks to look for include calmness and more controlled breathing, greater flexibility, and an overall feeling of well-being.
“There’s this wonderful feeling of ‘You got it!’ when you suddenly can do things your body couldn’t do before,” says Anathan.
Doing yoga is both a solitary and communal experience.
“There’s a very cool energy force in the room,” says Anathan. “It’s beautiful to watch and beautiful to be in.”
