yoga journal final 12/12

     Going into this semester, I had 0 expectations due to the Covid-19 pandemic changing the way what we consider a normal lifestyle. I was very nervous learning and adapting to an all online course after taking a year off working at Disney World and being used to attending classes in person. As a former student athlete, I thought this class would get me back into a routine for school and overall health. I was expecting to have yoga practices everytime we met for class. However, I was caught off guard on how much more I was actually taking in the class.

    Over the course of this year, I've learned that Eastern yoga is very different to Western yoga. A way I would put it as is Western yoga is the bread while Eastern yoga is the cheese, meat, seasoning inside the bread with the chips on the side. Western yoga has more of a physical aspect practice. Many people in America follow this style as it focuses on the health and fitness of the person. However, they will do these practices without knowing the origins unawaringly. Eastern yoga is condsidered more culturally appropriate. Its purpose is to lead towards an enlightenment that serparates yourself from daily sufferings when its done with the knowledge of its orgins refusing it to not be misused. There are no right or wrong way of how you view this as I still view it as an Eastern way. I do however, have gained a more well rounded respect.

    In the beginning of taking this class, I was doing the bare minimum only doing the journal entries. However after a month, Ive began to realize how much yoga was affecting my mindset. I started waking up earlier, having a more positive mindset and being more active to where I started running again and joined a gym (socially distanced of course). Starting out, finishing practices I would be very sore but as I kept doing it the less sore I became. Most of my practices were done on the Nike Training app as they provided many yoga videos from starting out to very intense and long sessions. Along with those, the practices we did during class were great as well as some being alittle too challenging for me like Ashtanga with David. I know many of my peers have used youtube for their practices, I never got to try them but I will in the future. I struggled with flexibility, breathing and balance early on. Even though my balance really didnt improve much, my flexibility improved greatly along wiht my breathing. Towards the middle of November sadly I had to stop for a little bit due to straining my back. I am currently restarting my routine all over again however I feel like it will be a lot easier knowing what I know now.

    Because of this pandemic going on right now, I never truly got to experience this class at its fullest. There was no physical connection with people and getting no real student-student and student-teacher relationship. Along with that, not being able to go to a yoga studio and being within a sense of a comminity. Just one of the many things we all wish the year 2020 couldve been different. Regardless, creating a ritual space was still obtainable. For me, making my room a ritual space was making the center of my room completely empty, having all natural light come in the room with having the window open while having a diffuser in room to atleast make my room not feel like my room. I also wore headphones to help cancel out the outside noise. 

    To wrap this all up, Ive learned a lot while taking this class. Not just in the class but myself as well. I am very happy that I took this class regardless if I pass or fail it (hopefully pass it). I have started to incorporate yoga and miditation into my life to benefit me for the better and better dealing of my stress. I also believe that it has helped me get though my depression better. I would recommend anyone and everyone to do yoga in their life. One day when I start having children I will make sure they have 3 things: feel loved, happiness, and yoga!