I talk to so many people who say they tried yoga and hated it! “It just was not for me,” they say. I am here to say there is no such thing. There are so many styles of yoga that it is impossible to make such a blanket statement. Let me tell you the story of my first yoga class…

I was in college, and in need of some serious stress relief. I had always heard of yoga and my gym at that time offered it for free. Perfect! I was so excited for my first class that I got there early, laid out my mat and waited…and waited…and waited. I am a very energetic person, so all this waiting was making me crazy! Then the lights went out and the soft music came on. The instructor softly instructed us to lie down on our mats. I was feeling very relaxed (this was my style of exercise). As I laid there releasing all the thoughts and tension from my mind as instructed, an overwhelming heat engulfed my entire body. I was being told to breathe deeply, focusing on my breath, but I could hardly breathe at all. I started sweating, and I hadn’t even moved.

As I moved into downward dog, I looked under my arm at the lady next to me who whispered “It’s hot yoga”. She must have sensed my confusion with the heat (possibly through my panting). Who knew!? Hot yoga? Strange. So that evening I decided I didn’t like yoga, it just wasn’t for me.

I was wrong it turned out. I wanted to like yoga; all the flexible, thin girls liked yoga. I decided to go to another class, first making sure it was NOT Hot Yoga. I LOVED it! I was actually good at it, and I felt amazing after. I loved it so much, I became a certified instructor. There are so many types of yoga, it all depends on what you’re looking for. You may need to try different instructors, levels, styles; but I promise if you want yoga to be for you, it is for you. Yoga is for everyone. Namaste.