An exercise of will

[darkemeralds]

I haven't taken yoga for a long time, and I expected my first foray this afternoon to be difficult-to-impossible, especially since the class was at a posh downtown studio where Real Yoga People go.



It was, indeed, difficult-to-impossible. I'd have loved to be all ace and awesome at it, but life on a bike and in a few Zumba classes a week does not a yogini make, and wrist and knee discomfort soon slid over the line into pain.

Out of respect for my own (hopefully temporary) limitations, I bowed myself quietly out after a few minutes, and watched from the back of the room, joining in at a couple of points where the movements were easier for me.

What follows might not mean much to you if you're not a dame d'un certain âge, so grain-o'-salt, younger folks. Grain-o'-salt.

The teacher called for kartari mukha, and made a reference to Richard Nixon (who famously used the two-finger peace gesture a lot). "I bet you remember that, don't you, Anne?" he said to me.

Well, yes, I do, though as a method of making me feel included this left something to be desired.

After the class, he came up to me and without preamble began explaining that he couldn't make the instruction appropriate for someone who's never taken yoga before (he didn't ask about my prior experience, which was pretty extensive at one point), because it would be unfair to the regulars who expect a good yoga workout. When I tried to explain that it was specific wrist and knee pain, and not general unfitness, that had pushed me to the bench, he said that yes, his mother has arthritis, too, and that there might be some special classes...

Now, I started being age-dismissed by men twenty years ago, and I've become increasingly invisible to all human beings in the years since then, but I think this might be my first really genuine and obvious nonsexual age-dismissal. It was kind of unsettling. Through this man's eyes I saw myself as a little old lady for the first time.*

Thank you, Assumption-Man!

I'll try a different teacher next time, one who's willing (as most fitness leaders are) to offer lower-impact alternatives throughout the instruction. The few minutes of yoga I managed to do felt absolutely wonderful, and I'm not about to let some all-mouth-no-ears, apparently-unconscious-age-bigot stop me from getting more of that.

*I'd argue for just not getting old in the first place, except that a) it beats the crap out of the alternative and b) it really is mostly awesome.

Comments

[lamentables]

Wow, that is the antithesis of my yoga experience. I used to be the youngest, though there are a few younger ones now, and between us we have lots of injuries and age/fitness-related limitations, as well as lots of different body types. Our teacher is all about making it work for everyone. She has tweaks and alternatives for everything and knows individual limitations, so she's making personalised suggestions before people have even figured out they might have a problem. And when appropriate she'll come round and adjust our poses to maximise the stretch or whatever.

Someone new joined last week, someone for whom English is not a first language, and there were lots more explanations and variations on how she expressed things, just to be sure it was working. It was actually helpful for me as a veteran of a few years, because it made me more mindful and also validated some of my own adaptations.

And we have fun, as well as relaxing and stretching and strengthening.

[darkemeralds]

I'm so encouraged by this! You and several other people both here and in person have said that my experience is really, really atypical. My recent experience is with Zumba and a couple of other gym-type class situations, where the standard is, as you say, "tweaks and alternatives" for individual needs. I expected the same in a yoga class, and was taken aback by its absence.

I'm gathering that I need to seek a "yin" yoga class, because, yes! What I want is fun, relaxation, stretching and strengthening. Preferably without any side orders of judgment and ageism.

[lamentables]

It just struck me, reading your reply, that another difference between the classes we go to and (I infer) the one you experienced, is the drop-in thing. We have had a few people come along to try things out, but the general principle for ours is that you sign up for at least the whole term. You pay in advance at the beginning of term both to protect Lizzy's livelihood and as a way of committing.

I'm not criticising the idea of class that is run on a drop-in basis, but I wonder if it makes a difference to teaching style?

[darkemeralds]

I get the impression that most drop-in classes tend to develop something of a regular following, but I imagine your idea is correct. Certainly a term-long class would free up the instructor from having to re-invent the special help with every single session.