I never thought I would step foot onto a yoga mat. The idea of stretching and calling it a “work-out” did not really seem accurate or appealing to me. But that was just my pre-conceived notion. I had never actually given it a chance yet. Well, that was until I heard about The Yoga Bar.
I was just casually scrolling through Instagram a few weeks ago–as most people normally do to pass the time–and I came across an account that was talking about an on-campus club. Now, when I saw it was about yoga, I pretty much scrolled back to my main feed and didn’t even give it a thought of reconsideration. But, after finding out we should explore a new space in our English class, for some reason–The Yoga Bar was the first thing that popped into my head as an idea.
If you’re not familiar with The Yoga Bar, it is a club at Chapman University that strives to “create a positive community through yoga, meditation and good times.” They put together on several events each semester, and the one I decided to attend was a Yoga on the Lawn.
Walking over to where the class was being held–I was actually kind of nervous. What if the other people in the class were part-time yogis and saw my sub-par skills and passed some sort of judgement my direction? I worried if I wasn’t wearing the adequate clothes for yoga. I consulted my friend, who I also had come with me due to her knowledge of yoga and some-what experience with the class. She helped me pick out the outfit that would allow me to have an optimal experience and calmed my nerves down as I suddenly realized I do not own a yoga mat.
After grabbing my water bottle, towel for a yoga mat and a neon yellow sweater in case I got cold, I sat down on the lawn in the back of the class. Once all of attendants seemed settled into their yoga mats, the instructor had us all say our name and what we love about yoga. I had no idea what I was going to say–“What do I love about something I have never tried before?” Once it was my turn I just said I was trying this out and want to get a positive outcome out of yoga. And then I realized—almost half of the people in the class were also trying yoga for the first time ever. I was not alone and everyone was cheering everyone else on.
The class lasted for about 45 minutes, and in that span of time we did many downward dogs, cobras, warrior and tree poses. Something I truly resonated with during the class was when the instructor would remind everyone that this is not a competition, this is a place of improvement and focusing on yourself. So whenever a stretch would become too hard, you can take a break–and that’s totally fine. I was never a competitive person myself, and so many workout classes can be fueled by competitiveness and the ability to win–which can become extremely exhausting.
The thing I loved about this class and The Yoga Bar in general is that ability to truly feel zen (sorry I know that sounds corny). I felt a weight come off of my shoulders and an energy like I had never felt before after the class. I walked away truly feeling like I did something good for myself and was surrounded by people aiming for the same goal and encouraging everybody to improve, no matter your skill level.
Now, this new space really did show my how passionate and determined the yoga community is, but also how caring and mindful they are about the world around them. During the class I would look around and see the beautiful California sunset painted across the sky, feel the breeze brush against my cheek–and I suddenly felt so grateful. Grateful for the moment I was having there in the class and everything leading up to it. This new space truly gave me a new perspective.
Will I go to yoga every day moving forward? No, probably not. But I will always remember how eye-opening this experience was for me and maybe try out another yoga class sometime in the future. But first, I need to invest in a yoga mat.
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