It's been less than two weeks since I started yoga. So when I signed up for a class at Equinox with my instructor, Kristi, I thought it would just be another regular session.
Big mistake which turned out to be the best one I've made in a while :-)
I totally misread the class description and it was 108 Sun Salutations. I didn't realise until I got there and saw people setting up like they were preparing for a marathon. If I had known, I probably wouldn't have gone. I've never seen myself as someone who's built for that kind of physical challenge.
But I was already there, so I figured, might as well try.
The first few rounds were rough. My arms were shaking, I was sweating a lot, and the idea of doing that sequence over and over again felt a little insane. But somewhere around the halfway mark, I got into a rhythm. The repetition, although it was boring, also started feeling kind of.. grounding.
I caught myself trying to do each round with the same energy I had in the first, just a little cleaner, a little smoother. By the end, I wasn't even counting, I was just focused on doing each one right.
It actually reminded me of how I am in the gym, I try to keep good form all the way to the last rep. Same idea here. Even when you're tired, you still try to give your best effort.
It also made me think about this article I once read called The Mundanity of Excellence. It's about how greatness usually comes from doing ordinary things really well, over and over again and not from big, flashy moments.
That's exactly what this felt like. Doing something simple, again and again, until it becomes something more.
When it was over, I was exhausted, sore, and deeply proud. Not just for finishing, but for realising that I've been underestimating what I'm capable of, both physically and mentally.
