To get the real feeling of what it is we're working to create at Sōl, I thought it would be helpful to allow our blog to be a collection of voices. Here, in our first guest blog post, Michael shares a little about his personal experience with yoga and with us. Wonderful to have you here, Michael!
I have been practicing yoga for just over a month now, and I find it exhilarating. After yoga I feel so good: loose, energized, clear-headed, taller & straighter. I'm halfway to age 118 so afterwards I don't go jumping around like I once might have, but I feel like I could!
I enjoy the casual atmosphere of Sōl Yoga, and the gentle pace. In my home practice I have been focusing on learning basic poses and getting so I can feel them as completely as possible. Then I go into a resting/breathing pose, and repeat. I'm in no hurry. Through classes with Sol Yoga I am learning to move smoothly between poses so yoga is more of a naturally continuous flow, thank you.
There are times when I'm in a pose, stretching to my limit, and I get to a place where even though I'm aware of my whole body I don't feel any separate part, quite. It feels effortless, even weightless at such moments.
I need yoga for mindfulness and calming myself, and for physical therapy. It is aerobic, of course, but for a real workout I've got other activities. I've got quite a list of little injuries my body's had over the years, and I don't want them to become chronic pains or limitations. All my life I've basically used and enjoyed my body (with not too much abuse), and now it's time to be really good to myself for a change.
After learning the mountain pose I realized that in all my years and all the times I've "stood around" I have never just stood still, breathing and feeling all that there is to feel in that moment. And now after this week's class with Sōl Yoga I know what it's like to stand on my hands, in the gorilla pose. It's delightful, it made me laugh. To yoga and laughter and good hearts all--
Michael Melius