It started out with something I'll call "pant like a dog", which is actually hard to do for very long without, you know, passing out. It ended with a barking chant... "har har har har har har har" only you had to exhale on the ha and roll the r, so it doesn't sound like a laugh- unless you are humorless, emyphsemic, and toothless.
In between it kicked my butt. Halfway through the leg kicks- which were oddly enough quite the ab workout- I almost turned to my sister in law and said something not very zen like about the fact that this was all her fault. This was not Yoga. Telling me "it is more about the breath, not about posing" makes me envision a relaxing, meditative, calming session. Not a kick my butt work up a sweat worst ab workout in my life torture session.
So went my first ever Kundalini Yoga class. It was at the Jewish Community Center, which you do not have to be Jewish to join. Sort of like you don't have to be Christian to belong to the YMCA. It was my first time visiting the JCC, even though it is like 3 minutes away from my house. It is huge. As I was laying on my yoga mat, listening to the chants and bells coming from the CD player (just barely drowning out the "HaYa" shouts coming from the karate class next door), it occured to me that it was like the Jewish version of Foxwoods. For the unfamiliar, Foxwoods is a very large casino. You can walk in and stay for days without noticing the passing of time. The JCC seemed like that. Except, of course, without the gambling. Which you would expect, given the stereoptypical jewish frugality. My analogy was only strengthened when I walked into the restroom and saw a basket full of pamphlets entitled "Do you have a gambling problem?" I do not, so I didn't pick one up, but I laughed, and then I had to wait until the gaggle of jewish women left before I explained it all to Allison.
(No insult to anyone; I live in a very jewish community, I have jewish friends, jewish cousins, I eat at a jewish deli. When I was in first grade art class and we had to choose between making Santa, or making a menorah, I chose to make the menorah. I didn't understand Jewish vs. Christian; but all my friends were making menorah's and truthfully, it looked a lot easier.)
Anyway, Kundalini yoga. So yes, I did like it. It is not yoga, though, not in the way I am used to yoga, with the posing and stretching and twisting. And today, when I want to cross my legs, I have to pick one leg up with my hands because I am that sore. That never happened to be with other Yoga workouts. Hello, Hatha Yoga. I miss you.
It was funny when the instructor informed us that we did all the beginning timings for everything. The five minutes should be 10, or 15 if you are an instructor. Hah. Hah hah har har har.
The point, here, is that at the end we were supposed to have a little moment of prayer. I'm not sure if I am very comfortable with the whole spiritual side of Kundalini, but there were definitely a few times where a little prayer helped get me through the excercises.To end this day we were going to pray for prosperity. Not in a monetary sense. We were supposed to think of the things that bring us joy and contentment. And of course I thought about my daughters, my husband, my house, my family. And then I realized that I have so much that brings me joy. I am trully rich beyond measure. So I decided instead of praying for prosperity, I would offer up thanks. Because it seemed like the right thing to do.
Sut naam.
