We love hearing the stories of our members and how we're helping on their health and wellness journeys. This blog post was written by Megan (on her blog The Yes Days), who rediscovered yoga and the benefits it could provide to her life. Thank you for sharing your story(and for making us a part of it), Megan!
During the time that I have not been working (update: working part time in child care for now while I look for jobs in Communications/PR) I have definitely struggled with boredom and had some promising job leads that lead to nothing in the end. I have met some very nice people and made some LinkedIn connections though! In challenging times like these I need to stay positive and hopeful that my hard work will get me where I’d like to be. So on my journey to self improvement I have returned to practicing yoga!
The very first yoga class I attended was a free class I had discovered through Meetup.com about two years ago. I had been interested in exploring yoga, but I was super nervous about how stupid I might look trying. And sure enough I felt pretty dumb in my first class. Since I didn’t know what I was doing I felt like I needed to keep my glasses on so that I could clearly see the instructor (I don’t wear contacts) and they kept falling off my face. I also felt like I was breathing too loudly and my hands got sweaty and kept sliding around on the mat.
But I persevered and I discovered that you could get introductory memberships to yoga studios for $30 – $40 for a month (as opposed to the $100+/month average) and then when the membership expired move on to the next place! I enjoyed the studios I attended, but I can’t really justify the cost of a membership right now so I started going to the yoga classes at the Toronto Central Grosvenor location(included in my membership to the fitness centre).
If you are new to yoga the YMCA is a great place to try it out. What I love about the Y in general is that the centre feels like a community. People in the group fitness classes actually talk to each other and everyone is friendly and accommodating. I have worried at times about being judged when I can’t pull off a seemingly simple yoga pose, but at the Y everyone is practicing at a different level and doing their best.
My first fitness class at the YMCA was a CycleFit class that I thought might kill me – it was so fast-paced and intense. At the end of that first class the instructor congratulated me on making it through the entire class (apparently a lot of first timers leave early) and my fellow spinners actually applauded me. I was a little embarrassed, but it was also kind of a heartwarming moment that I’m not sure happens in a typical gym setting.
Yoga still feels like new territory to me and I sweat and shake through most classes, but I never regret trying. I hope to keep making progress with yoga. Now that spring is on its way and it’s getting warmer in Toronto I’m starting to run outdoors again. My first outdoor run of 2015 was yesterday and my legs and lungs hurt, but it was worth it! My next challenge might be to join a running group this spring.
Wish me luck!
For more information about the YMCA of Greater Toronto, please visit http://ymcagta.org
