My First Attempt At Yoga

For the past several months, I’ve been promising various friends that I would try yoga, but every time I try to get my act together, something comes up, and the whole endeavor falls apart. It’s been quite frustrating for all parties involved. Well, this past weekend, whilst summering in sunny (yes, sunny) Seattle, my friend Meeshie suggested I try some yoga poses. It really was the perfect moment for such an activity: the weather was beautiful, the waterfront exquisite, and the company lovely. And so while m_ruv manned a camera, Meeshie set about teaching me some basic poses — none of which I held longer than about twenty seconds. Hey, it’s a start.
Photos of me attempting to display minor flexibility after the jump…

Meeshie prepares to show me The Warrior amidst the shadows of the Gas Works Park in northern Seattle. She’s highly excited, as you can see.

Getting into position. I fear this will lead to embarrassing photos and strained muscles — never a good combo.

WARRIOR!

Happy Warrior! (Let it be declared, however, than this warrior has been known to scream should anyone toss a tinfoil ball her way)

So far, yoga seems to be a breeze.

I attempt the famed Downward Dog position. Meeshie tells me to roll my shoulders back, but I’m clearly incapable of comprehending such directions.

Even her nimble touch is futile.

I sort of get it. m_ruv, it should be noted, was highly amused.

Less Downward Dog, and more Awkward Coyote.

Meeshie then demonstrates the next pose. Note the lovely neighborhood in the background.

Shockingly, my vertebrae do not all instantaneously snap as I attempt this most grueling of poses.

In the absence of proper yoga blocks, Meeshie’s bag provides stability for me. It’s still quite a labored experience though.

Note the pain registering on my face.

I believe this is the look of my chakras aligning. That’s what they do, right?

You know this is just gonna lead to disaster.

So far so good…

Clearly an OHMMM moment.

Aaaaand now I’m toppling over.

I should note that coordination and balance are not my strong points.

Thankfully, I find stability in this bendy move. It was surprisingly difficult, especially given my poor posture.

And that’s all we did. Ultimately, I’d say the three of us fared quite well in the Seattle sunshine. (Well, THEY didn’t, but that’s because Meeshie and m_ruv are cut from the same easy-to-burn alabaster cloth.) Nevertheless, my yoga experience, while brief, was super fun. Perhaps I have a new hobby on the horizon…