Am I Seriously Sore from Yoga??

Despite the calm, happy, feelings I often get after practicing yoga, the practice itself is sometimes far from “calm” or “happy.” As a novice yogi, many of the poses we do in class are difficult. Sometimes I lack the flexibility, or the strength, or the balance to perform a pose without serious effort. For example, the first few times I did Downward Facing Dog, my calves and quads hurt as the muscles struggles to stretch. I still have a hard time with Tree Pose, because I find the act of balancing on one foot enough without having to stretch my other leg up to my thigh. Even when we lie down at the end, I cannot always focus my mind on remaining calm enough to create a steady breath.

Yoga is hard. Even though I’m not running, or lifting weights, or tackling other men for the possession of a ball, my body strains and struggles to pull my leg behind my head, or stretch and contort my body in seemingly unnatural postures. Practice helps, as does further instruction, and helpful tools like bolsters and straps; at the end of the day though, perfecting and refining the poses to be more like my teacher’s or Iyengar’s requires the same exertion and effort I’m used to exhibiting in organized sports or the gym. What a strange practice is yoga, that can strengthen the body and the mind so deliberately at the same time.