The Lost Art of Slowing Down

Have you ever gone to a yoga class and felt worse when you walked out the door? It happened to me years ago when I went to a class expecting to race through a power class and instead got a substitute teacher who implored us to do everything "SLOWLY." My mind wandered, made mental lists of things I needed to do when I got out of the class, and I counted down the minutes until it was over. That was 15 years ago, and I now realize the teacher was correct _ I did need to slow down and breathe _ I just didn't know it. The pace of society is so fast today that we feel that we have to race through everything, including yoga. The no-pain, no-gain mindset is alive and well in many studios as teachers and students push themselves to achieve poses at breakneck speed. We have all been there. But chances are if you are stressed and running around like a maniac, you need to slow down rather than speed up _ at least for now. Getting in touch with your breath, holding postures for longer periods of time and letting go of the need to prove yourself on your yoga mat are a good first step. This is not to say you have to give up your favorite power or hot yoga classes. But check in with yourself. If you're feeling stressed or agitated after a class, you might want to add a gentle or yoga basics class to your schedule. There are several options along the Shoreline, and try several different classes until you find the one that works for you. For more information, go to beachroseyoga.com.