Starting Yoga - My Journey

Ever since I saw Wai Lana practicing yoga on television in 1999, I've savored the idea of doing yoga regularly. I was between jobs for a few months and had already cleaned out the closets and drawers and cooked an Indian meal from scratch. I'd mastered home-made bagels. So, I began channel-flipping.

The First Time I Saw Wai Lana and Yoga Being Practiced

Lo and behold, there she was, perched on a high cliff by the ocean, the wind blowing her hair. Exotic-looking and speaking with an Asian accent, Wai Lana provided instructions as she gracefully moved from one pose to another. The time was just after 2:00 p.m. as I recall. I watched the rest of the show in awe.

Wai Lana's voice mesmerized. The dramatic ocean landscapes relaxed. But was I capable of doing those pretzel-like moves? I vowed to try yoga the next day.

My First Yoga Experience

The following morning, I couldn't stop thinking about Wai Lana. At 2:00 p.m. sharp, the television was on. I followed Wai Lana's movements and instruction the best I could. Her flexibility stunned me. My inflexibility was surprising. Many of the moves I couldn't do completely or at all.

My favorite part of the 30-minute yoga session was the end. Wai Lana spoke of relaxing various body areas one by one as strangely unfamiliar music played in the background, a chant of some type. When the music and program ended, I felt incredibly peaceful and relaxed. Upon arising from my prone position, I felt great!

From that day, I was able to catch Wai Lana's television program about twice a week for two months before I resumed my career. I never practiced yoga again. Well, until this past week, 12 years later.

You're probably thinking, "If you loved yoga so much, why did you wait so long?" That's a good question; my only defense is that my real life of working, having a career and a relationship, and taking care of a home just took over.

How and Why I Finally Got Back to Yoga Recently

Over these past years, I thought about getting back to yoga to learn more about it at some point in my life. A recent work change and my allergist's suggestion to try yoga to expand my airways provided the momentum I needed.

I discovered Wai Lana's website. I was excited! I ordered the Yoga Easy Series Tripack of DVDs on Friday and received them the following Monday. Included in the Easy Series Yoga Tripack are 3 DVDs-Beginners, Toning and Relaxation Workouts.

Completing My First Week of Yoga

So far, I've completed the Beginners Workout 6 days out of 7 the first week. I've experienced some vague muscle aches, feelings of my inner organs moving around during yoga sessions and a slight soreness in my mid-spine area that lasted one day.

Will I lose inches? Will I lose weight? Maybe my airways will expand more. Perhaps my clothes will fit better. Whatever the case, I vow to enjoy doing yoga and feel more relaxed.

I plan to keep you posted about my foray into yoga. In the meantime, if you're brave enough to do yoga with me and Wai Lana, here's the link to buy the DVDs.

Sources

Wai Lana website

Yoga Easy Series Tripack DVD Set, Wai Lana