This summer, as part of New Pig’s wellness initiative, yoga was brought onsite for a trial as a wellness activity.

I, for one, always frowned at yoga, believing it was a low-cardio activity that does not provide a stimulating workout.  My initial thoughts on yoga were that it would not provide me with the oomph and physical activity that I would normally get from lifting weights or playing basketball. Let me assure you, I was wrong!

I learned the hard way through some of the vigorous stretches and through transitioning from posture to posture that this is not something to be taken lightly. I leave some sessions sore and out of breath from time to time.  I find the poses helped me increase my flexibility. Though I’m a far cry from being able to do a spilt, I can safely say that I can sit and reach and touch my toes with my hands. This is something I have not been able to do in the past.

All in all, I find the stretching techniques and back-bending postures, as well as the meditation and instruction on how to improve breathing, intriguing and I now look forward to class every week. But, what I get out of it most is that I leave with a big smile on my face feeling pretty mellow for the rest of the day. The class has helped me relax tremendously! My wife agrees with my assessment, and suggests that I continue taking yoga since I’m much more tolerable after the class .  I attribute this to our dear instructor Diane Strohm, who challenges us by leading us through some pretty tough stretches while reminding us to honor our body and teaching us how to relax. Needless to say, I am not alone in my enjoyment of yoga. We are in our third session this fall and the class is a big hit.

Six months later in my journey, I chant the sacred sound of Omm … I pose like a cat … I do some weird stretches and have gotten to know some fellow Piggers in a new way through light-hearted conversation and from the shared experience of our class.

I think this wellness activity was a success! Namaste.