Interview with a New Yogi

I interviewed an anonymous new yogi at Sunstone Yoga. She has been practicing for only a few weeks, so I thought it would be interesting to see her perspective on her practice so far. 

How long have you done yoga?

I think it’s been about 2 weeks now. I haven't really gone too consistently yet, I just finished my third class. I plan to keep up with it, though, for hopefully a very long time.

What type of yoga do you practice?

I go to a studio that does Hot Yoga. So far, I am mostly doing the "Fire 60" classes, which is 1 hour of Bikram-style yoga.

Do you practice at a studio or at home? Which do you prefer?

I currently only practice at a studio, though perhaps once I am more comfortable with it I will do some at home on days where I cannot make it to a class.

What made you decide to practice yoga? Why did you continue after your first class?

I had always been curious about it, but had never seriously sought it out until a friend gave me a ticket for a free class and brought me along with her. She got me there, the class itself got me to stick with it. Having no balance or heat tolerance, I always thought that it would be something I couldn't do. But after my first class, I felt fantastic, physically and mentally.

Have you seen any benefits personally from doing yoga?

I have definitely seen benefits from it. Of course, there are the physical benefits of each time feeling stronger, more flexible, better balanced. However, as cliche as it may sound, it has also been very good for me mentally so far. 

Shortly before I started doing yoga, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I adamantly refused to accept that I had the disorder until a lot of things started crashing down around me. I finally started on the right medications for me and am working on managing my disorder. My counselor suggested that I start doing yoga, among other things, to help give me an outlet for my anxiety and to help with my lack of focus. Even though I have only gone to a few sessions, I have found that it definitely does help me cope with that. It gives me goals to strive for and accomplishments to reach. It definitely felt great tonight when I was able to balance in a difficult pose, and applaud my friend on being able to touch her toes!

What kind of person would you recommend yoga to?

I would recommend it to anyone, but I would especially recommend it to people who have something about themselves they would like to improve, whether it be physically, mentally, or emotionally. I think that people with insecurities and concerns would find it more beneficial than people just looking for a workout or an activity in their free time. It is about improving yourself from wherever you are at right now, and it is something anyone could benefit from.

Thank you to my anonymous yogi for sharing your story with us!