The last thing on earth I wanted to do was try something new. But, desperate times call for desperate measures. Personally, I’ve been going crazy being cooped up in the house, and my mom and sister definitely have been right there with me.
Playing countless uno games with them and going on daily walks wasn’t enough, and we decided that it was time we try something new. I wasn’t sure how we ended up picking yoga, but looking back it was a unique choice for the three of us.
First of all, I cannot touch my toes. When it comes to exercise, I’ll always choose running over anything else. I’ve heard about yoga for years now, but I’ve always just said, “Yeah, that’s not for me.”
Along with that excuse, my sister and mom aren’t exactly yoga-material either. My sister can’t sit still to save her life. When we were younger, my dad used to make her run laps around the house to get her energy out.
My mother is constantly bustling around serving others, always on her feet. I’ve never really seen her slow down and take time for herself.
But one morning, we all sat down to try a 10-minute beginner yoga session. My dad even sat down with us in his suspenders and jeans, and attempted the stretches.
It’s true, we didn’t really take it seriously. We laughed the whole time and I might have made fun of the breathing exercises that went along with it. Our two dogs and three cats joined in, resulting in a lack of space and us spending more time loving on our beloved pets than paying attention to the actual video.
But, it was a fun activity to do together, and I decided to try another session that night by myself. Alone in my room, I actually started to take it seriously. Something happened. My mind that was constantly spinning with thoughts started to slow down.
I wasn’t capable of all the poses, but I did my best, and it became therapeutic. Going on three weeks now, I have gotten into the habit of doing yoga both morning and night. I follow the Youtube videos “Yoga with Kassandra” and usually only stick to the 10-minute videos.
My friend, Kelsey Britt, has utilized yoga to help her recover from an eating disorder she struggled with for over ten years. Yoga can be more than just a hobby, but a healing process. Read about her amazing story here.
Yoga has really helped me calm my mind and deal with all the stress and anxiety that COVID-19, moving back home and school work have caused. I never would’ve thought I would get into yoga, but it’s been so helpful. Besides, if I can do it, you can do it.
Story by: Elizabeth Armstrong
accent@suunews.net
