M is for Moksha

I tried my first yoga class yesterday and let me tell you it was a hell of a workout. First of all I’m built more like a football player than a yogi. So walking into a class of mostly women and some vegetarian looking men was a bit intimidating never mind my friend who was much more experienced promising to laugh at me mercilessly if I made a spectacle of myself. Glad to report that I didn’t embarrass myself which was extremely difficult considering early on my sweat had created nothing short of a water hazard underneath me. It is only by the grace of God and my eco friendly non slip mat that I made it out of there without a face plant, front teeth intact.

For those of you that don’t know, Moksha yoga is a comprehensive workout focusing on upper and lower body strength, balance and flexibility. It also focuses on opening the hip area where much lower back and knee pain originates. What surprised me was the cardiovascular conditioning that it took to get through class. Each pose flowed into another movement without rest so my heart rate was moderately elevated comparable to going for a light jog for 75 minutes.

I would definitely recommend this type of yoga for 3 reasons

1. It is a great strength and cardiovascular workout. I have above average core strength and my muscles were challenged. This morning I felt a deep soreness in my abs that only comes from changing up your routine and using your muscles in a unique way. Also my heart rate was constantly elevated for the entire class which went for 75 minutes.

2. The various poses focus on strengthening your pillar of strength (shoulders, torso, hips, knees and ankles) stabilizing and injury proofing your frame. All these places are exceptionally susceptible to injury and by strengthening these muscles not only do you become more injury resistant but more capable in all things physical.

3. Great activity for regeneration. Anyone who lives a fit lifestyle knows that you don’t get stronger when working out- you get stronger during the recovery process. This type of activity encourages blood flow to the entire body, aiding in the healing of worked muscles. Yoga has also been linked to better sleep. The better quality your sleep is the higher your growth hormone levels which have been linked to improving muscle growth and fat burn. I slept like a baby and woke up from less sleep than I get in a typical night feeling extremely energetic and refreshed.
This was pretty far out of my comfort zone but I must say I loved the challenge and I plan on practicing yoga regularly as part of my routine. I’m looking forward to seeing how this improves other aspects of my fitness.

Namaste,
Derick

This caption is American Entrepreneur and Hip hip mogul Russel Simmons.  He has a net worth of over 300 million dollars and is a devout yoga practitioner.  He inspires me because he is probly one of the busiest men in the U.S. If he can find time for exercise, I think we all can.