I never thought I would step foot onto a yoga mat. Seriously, NEVER in my wildest dreams would I imagine myself wearing flip flops, head-to-toe Lululemon and saying “Namaste” every minute of everyday. 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 notions. I had never actually given it a chance yet. Well, that was until I heard about The Yoga Bar.
One Monday morning, I came across a flyer for an extracurricular club. Now, I am a freshman in college, so receiving about 50 flyers a day is kind of my new normal. After looking at the title of the flyer, I exhaled in disgust. The top of the page said “Join us for ‘Yoga on the Lawn’ this Tuesday for a chill yoga session.” I wanted to crumble up the piece of paper or tear it to shreds, but unfortunately I could not find a recycling bin to properly discard of it (Look, I may not like yoga but I like keeping our planet clean). So, to be environmentally conscious, I decided to hold on to the useless flyer until I got back to my dorm.
After seeing that flyer just constantly gaze at me while laying on my desk–begging me to at least consider it–I searched the Instagram handle at the bottom of the fluorescent pink piece of paper. Going onto their feed, I was flooded with photos of downward dogs, breathing techniques and load and loads of yoga pants. But there’s something else I noticed: each person photographed in these posts appeared happy. And not just a happy-go-lucky, positive 24/7 type of joy that’s displayed on social media, but a genuine smile of gratefulness and appreciation. I saw photos of events they have previously held with all of the attendees and even photos highlighting the people who put The Yoga Bar together. If someone would devote that much time to yoga, I felt like I could just go to one class. If it wasn’t for those grins of wonder, I would not have even thought twice about going to this class, but now all of a sudden I wanted to at least dip my toes in the “Yoga water” and give it a try.
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 several events each semester, and the one I decided to attend was a Yoga on the Lawn class. They also promote self care by frequently posting helpful tips and links to a healthier lifestyle as well as spreading good vibes as much as they possibly can.
Alright, so I had agreed to go to my first yoga class. I mean how difficult could it be, right? It’s just forty-five minutes of breathing in deeply and stretching. And I would be on one of the lushest and greenest lawns on campus in the beautiful Southern California weather right before sunset. I can do this.
But, I began to do what I always do when I am entering into something out of the ordinary from my normal schedule–I overthink. 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? What if people make fun of me using a towel for a yoga mat? What if I’m not wearing the proper clothing (I’m sorry Lululemon is not my entire wardrobe)? What if I stick out like a needle in a haystack because I will have no idea what I am doing? My mind was circling with these constant “What if” questions and I couldn’t get it to stop.
Trying to calm my nerves down, I walked toward the class and saw a sea of multicolored yoga mats, Hydro Flasks and about 20 young women wearing, you guessed it–Lululemon and Fabletics. But, I really wanted to immerse myself into this experience. I tried to avoid forming preconceptions and stereotypes and solely focus on the class itself.
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 were seated in a criss-cross applesauce position on 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. I was actually feeling a part of this community, which is something very refreshing to feel when being a newcomer out-of-state college student.
The class lasted for about 45 minutes, and in that span of time we did many downward dogs, cobras, warrior, tree and countless other 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.
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. Although those worries and “What if” questions were all I could think about in the beginning of the class, I slowly was able to dissolve them and focus on each and every breath and movement. 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. I thought I was going to feel like an outsider looking in, but I felt like I was becoming a part of this community and seeing the importance of this practice. We were all strong, newly-independent women who were just looking for a little bit more peace in their lives, which I could use a whole lot more of.
Remember those photos on the Instagram account I saw, seeing those smiling faces? Towards the end of the class, I was able to smile and feel engaged through every moment. Originally, I thought people who did yoga wanted to relax and call it a workout, but in reality this practice allows you to be caring and mindful about the vibrant world around you. 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. The stout and gentle blades of grass would slowly graze through my fingertips and I could hear the leaves of the palm trees rustle in the wind. Noticing these small captured glimpses of nature really showed me an appreciation for my life and how lucky I am for the little things. I felt grateful for the moment I was having there in the class and everything leading up to it.
So, 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. More importantly, I will always remember those smiling faces of joy and peace, and slowly begin to incorporate those smiles into my daily lifestyle. I think everyone could use a little bit more happiness every day that truly brings meaning to their lives. Happiness and yoga mats, I guess that’s all I really need.
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