Yoga Anyone?

Hatha Yoga - The ancient art of physical purification

A friend of mine had been trying to drag me along to her yoga class for weeks before I gave it real thought. Initially I rejected the idea believing that contorting my body in a room full of ‘free spirited’ strangers, whilst listening to whale music was not my idea of a good time. But feeling extremely judgmental I decided to withhold my preconceived ideas and give yoga a go to see what this ‘new age’ stuff is all about.

I entered the class feeling not only self conscious but very out of place. Encouraged to remove my socks and find a space in the room my fears were hardly quelled. I don’t know if it is just me, but I felt slightly vulnerable without my coveted shoes and socks. Anyway, I rolled out my towel and the class began. The atmosphere within the group was really nice; everyone was just there for experience and focus on themselves. Initially it’s pretty difficult not to feel like a fool, wondering if you are positioning yourself properly and if your breathing is correct.

The style of yoga for the session was "Hatha" which has a physical focus allowing for adjustments. The poses were really interesting; manipulating and stretching your body in ways you hadn’t considered before. One position was, aptly titled, “downward facing dog” in which you are positioned on all fours and instructed to move your pelvic muscles upwards. It was certainly an interesting position and very strenuous when held for a long time. Other positions such as the “pigeon” and the “cobra” were more relaxing. I found the names of the poses themselves fairly amusing. One of the poses was called the “crow”, which encompassed squatting with your hands on the floor and slowly lifting one foot and then the other off the floor, involving a tremendous amount of upper body strength. Certainly, with a room full of people all adopting the same position, you feel a little less ridiculous.

You are advised to take easier variations of the poses depending on your level of ability and can go slower if you need to. The focus is on yourself; as the instructor stated “the session is yours no one else’s”. Some of the positions are a lot more strenuous than I first imagined and I genuinely did work up a bit of a sweat. It helps build muscle strength whilst still being a relaxing exercise. Forgetting my initial anxieties I settled in comfortably, for want of a better word.

The instructor (Josephine Baark) can be described as nothing less than fabulous. The directions were simple and clear as even I, a yoga novice, was able to follow them. The class is calming, getting you away from the inevitable essay blues, and you really can go at your own pace. Considering my initial scepticism I actually really enjoyed the session and would advice others to go if they want to relax, tone up or generally become more aware of your own bodies. The class is run by the University of York Yoga Society (which has a Facebook page); it only costs £2 for the hour as a non-member and it runs every week - usually on a Wednesday. If you do decide to turn up you’re probably going to see me, contorting myself into various positions next week. I’ve been converted.

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