Park Yoga 1

Park Yoga is a charity I only recently learnt about when their posts appeared in some of towns facebook groups.  They provide free yoga sessions in many parks across the UK and are always on the lookout for more venues and yoga instructors.  Since their beginning in 2017 with only two sites, they have increased their number of sites to 32 this year.  

I had been thinking about Yoga but I have a very limited budget and I just couldn't squeeze a regular class in.  I have been to a few yoga classes before but a long time ago when I was much thinner and fitter.  So when I saw that Park Yoga was beginning from May to September, it was great!  I felt ready to increase my exercise and yoga once a week seemed like a great idea.  Even better with it being free.

Things didn't go to plan though.  I missed the first session because I was away and then the rest of May because I as unwell.  So today was my first time.  Still I have four more months of free yoga!

Being me, I obviously overthought it and over planned.  They suggested taking a towel or a blanket to practice on.  I don't have a yoga mat and if I buy one, it will be because I have developed an ongoing yoga habit.  So I dug out an old woollen blanket and my nice Stolen Goat towel to make myself a nice dry and padded place to practice.

Next was clothing.  Obviously people often wear small amounts of lycra to do yoga in.  I am just not comfortable showing that much of my body.  I opted for leggings and a thin long sleeve T I could tuck in so no skin or wibbly bits would be too on display and then I put a short sleeve skater T over the top so that I would feel more modestly covered.  I also took my hoodie just in case and a bottle of water.

Its been pretty cold recently but yesterday the weather shifted to the sunny side with some cool northerly breezes.  Yesterday was on the cool side but I should have guessed it would start to warm up more today.  I was too warm.  No need for my hoodie at all...  I will need to rethink my clothing plan for next week, though leggings are a must.  Maybe oversized T and vest top?  Not sure.  If we get much warmer in July and August, I will need to rethink my clothing options.  

I hoped to be at the back out of the way and less visible to others.  Unfortunately a whole bunch of people came after me so there was another row behind me and as we were in a slightly curved shape, I was pretty visible.  It was also obvious I was the largest and least fit person there by some way...  but Park Yoga has a philosophy of being for everyone.  I think it's really important to remember things like that when you feel uncomfortable and out of place.  I also think it's obvious I am someone who really needs it and could benefit hugely.

Not going to lie though, it was tough.  I couldn't do all the positions and I certainly could not do them well.  Even some of the easiest positions were tough because my stomach or some other part of my body would just be in the way.  Holding my body up is tough.  All parts of my body are heavy so the effort required for me to hold my body in some of these positions is significantly greater.  Being less fit, I don't have the physical strength to sustain some of the positions.  I also got tired.  I sat the whole section of warrior pose and triangle pose out as I just needed a break.  I was the only person who took a break.

The instructor was lovely though and she reaffirmed the necessity of listening to your body and only pushing as far as was comfortable etc.  I felt no judgement from her and I know if I had stayed and spoken to her, she would have been supportive and suggested some alternatives.  I will be looking up some modified poses on the web though, before next week.

So will I be going next week?  I plan to but it will be tough.  Harder now I know what I am letting myself in for.  It will take a certain amount of stubborness to keep going.  It isn't as if I will see quick improvements and suddenly be able to do everything well.  

The other thing for me will be the car.  I can walk to the park.  It isn't my closest park but it is doable, but not before or after doing yoga, not for me, not yet.  I share a car with my husband and he uses it for work and drives around in it most of the day.  He does work some weekends so there will be some weeks when it will be tricky.  Also not sure about yoga outside on cold and wet days!  It might be lovely.  It was good, feeling the sun and listening to the birds today.

So it's a beginning at least...  I do think things like this are ever so important.  I know we have ParkRun and ParkWalk as well locally.  They are run nationally and are very popular.  I can walk 5km now and considered the ParkWalk.  The thing for me is my dog.  He is a little over-friendly and excitable and I am not sure I am ready for walking him in a big group like that.  I also wouldn't want to leave him at home because it would be my walk of the day.  It's on my radar though...  And one day if I become capable, I might start running, you never know.  6 stone ago I wouldn't have attempted yoga.